During the spring, 344,400 adult radio-listeners tuned in to their favorite radio stations each week, according to Nielsen. This is 10% more than during the fall, despite the pandemic.
Some advertising experts had predicted that as consumers spent more time at home because of COVID-19 concerns, the hours devoted to radio listening would decrease. That, however, was not the case.
In the Spring of 2019, according to Nielsen, 38.4% of radio listening occurred at home. During July of this year, in-home listening jumped to 45.4%. Despite the reduction in out-of-home activities, though, CSRA consumers still spent the almost the same amount of time listening to Augusta radio.
Overall, the pandemic has inflicted little change on the audio advertising landscape. A study by Edison Research indicates that among all options, local radio's 'share of ear' remains consistent.
During the second quarter of 2019, adult consumers spent 78% of their time with ad-supported audio listening to AM/FM radio. No other medium came close.
During the same quarter this year, consumers devoted 76% of their time with local radio. Podcasts were a distant second at 9%.
Beginning in 1930, when WRDW became the first station in the CSRA, small business owners have depended on Augusta radio to market their goods and services through recessions, depressions, and natural disasters. All the research indicates that AM/FM radio is as dependable now as it was then.