Radio Broadcasters Must Embrace The Net, Says Continental Research

Recent research has found that increasing numbers of people are tuning in to radio on the internet and warns broadcasters to understand and embrace new media and what their listeners want from it or be left behind.

The research has been collated by Continental Research and was presented at the NAB European Radio Conference last month. It contradicts a speech made by the head of knowledge management at Zenith, Adam Smith, at yesterday’s RAB conference in which he stated that radio broadcasters should not necessarily feel compelled to embrace new media so readily (see Radio Operators Should Not Try To Be ‘Jack-Of-All-Media’, Says Zenith Head).

The findings show that 67% of people in the UK are aware that it is possible to listen to the radio on the net and 22% of people have tuned in already. National radio stations are the most popular type of services, with 68% tuning in. Just over a third of people (36%) had listened to local services while 59% access radio stations outside the UK. Most people spend less than five hours a week listening to online radio stations but of those who do 40% say they “love it”.

People know what they want from an online radio station: information about community events is their top priority; a large proportion want to know the title of a song which has been played; over 40% say they want to enter contests online.

Broadcasters would do well to pay attention to their needs and devise marketing strategies as they do with their stations, the research recommends. They should be aware of e-commerce developments and plan for the future with a range of e-commerce strategies.

Continental Research: 0171 490 5944