In 1930, the Galvin Manufacturing Corporation put the first car radio on the market. They called it the Motorola. This in-car entertainment would have setback a Central Savannah River Area consumer about $120. That would be equivalent to $1300 today.
But, if you had that kind of cash back then, you would be able to cruise around in your Ford Model-A, DeSoto, Packard, or Studebaker and hear the music of the day from radio stations in Charlotte, Raleigh, and Atlanta.
Today, there's a radio in almost every vehicle on the streets of the CSRA. Despite the competition on the dashboard from other sources of entertainment, AM/FM radio remains the dominant choice among consumers for in-car entertainment. This is great news for local business owners who depend on Augusta radio to market their goods and services.
According to a recent study by Edison Research, 81% of adult consumers who have been in a car during the past month listened to AM/FM radio. No other choice came close.
Nielsen reports that 412,144 adult consumers tuned-in to an Augusta radio station last week. More than 88% of these people listened in a car.
This mobile listenership can be very valuable to CSRA small business owners because cars put consumers in proximity to local retailers.
A study by USA Touchpoints, a cross-platform measurement company, studied the time-lapse between audio media use and time of purchase. Radio was, by far, used most often within one half-hour of a purchase.
Many CSRA marketers understand the importance of reaching consumers while in their cars.
"Advertising on Augusta radio has been great for us," says Eddie Jordan. He is the Managing Partner of ten Papa John's Pizza 
restaurants in the CSRA. "Customers tell me all the time that they hear our ads. When they think about pizza, they think about us."
"Radio," says Mr. Jordan, "is really the only medium that can allow us to reach so many people. We used to use local TV, but with things like Netflix and Tivo, our commercials were getting missed or skipped. So we stopped."
Currently, Mr. Jordan is advertising his Papa John's stores every single month on six Augusta radio stations.
"A lot of meal decisions are made while driving," says Mr. Jordan. "Radio is being used in almost every car. So, our commercials are reaching potential customers when they are deciding where to eat. Nothing else can do that for us."
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