US

My Holiday 1987 Radio Road Trip, Part II

In the days leading up to Christmas 1987, I drove from Los Angeles to New Jersey — my only coast-to-coast road trip so far. This year, I went back to listen to the airchecks. The first two days of that trip, covering Phoenix; Tucson, Ariz.; and El Paso, Texas, comprised part 1 of this article. […] […]

ASIA

ABU DBS 2023 to be in-person event after two years

The next ABU Digital Broadcasting Symposium event will be organised as an in-person event from the 6-9 March 2023 at Kuala Lumpur. It attracts close to 1,500 participants annually, representing over 350 organisations across the region and beyond.An ever-expanding range of technologies is now on the market, providing broadcasters with important new opportunities. DBS showcases these to help broadcasters make the right decisions.The DBS2023 event, through its conference sessions, panel discussions, focused workshops and masterclasses, presented by eminent experts across the globe, will address challenges, find solutions and share experiences related to digital transition, technology implementation, creative content ideas, and enhancing user experiences.DBS2023 ConferenceDBS2023 Conference sessions are organised as panel sessions with multiple speakers presenting on topics related to a session theme. Engage in thought-provoking discussions in the conference.DBS2023 Workshops and MasterclassesThe DBS2023 event will also include Workshop and Masterclass sessions that are deemed to be more focused on a specific topic/solution or product(s) by a specific vendor.Submit your Speaking Request at CALL FOR SPEAKERS – ABU DBS 2023 […]

ASIA

Mediacorp expands audio reach to 3.8 million listeners weekly

Mediacorp expands its audio reach to capture 3.8 million listeners weekly, as its roster of free-to-air and digital radio stations continue to be the premier choice for 88.6% of all adults in Singapore who tune in for over 10 hours weekly. According to the latest Nielsen Radio Survey, the company also commands 83.8% of the radio market share, eclipsing that of competitors.In a testament to Mediacorp’s success in staying ahead of consumer preferences and market needs with its customer-centric and multi-platform strategy, listenership on the company’s digital radio network achieved an impressive compound annualised growth (CAGR) of 17% over five years since 2018. This marks the fourth consecutive year of continuous gains on the digital front to reach a record 1.63 million listeners weekly, or 91.6% of all digital listeners.The findings are based on the latest Nielsen Radio Survey conducted from August to October 2022, which tracked radio listenership via diary recordings by 2,014 adults aged 15 and above, with the results weighted by age, sex and race to be representative of the Singapore population.Mediacorp sweeps nine out of top 10 positions, top five are Mediacorp stationsAs the leading radio network, Mediacorp’s radio stations are the preferred choice among key audience segments across gender, age, race and occupation4 . As its reach continues on an upward trajectory for the fourth consecutive year, its capacity to attract, captivate and retain audiences is clear: nine out of the top 10 spots in the ranking of stations is a Mediacorp radio station, with the top five belonging to the company. Out of the 11 hours and 46 minutes that listeners spend tuning in to Singapore’s radio stations weekly, 10 hours and 27 minutes (88.8%) were on Mediacorp’s radio stations.The reigning champion is Chinese station YES 933, boasting a record 964,000 listeners (22.4% of weekly listenership) after attracting an additional 30,000 listeners (+3.2%) since the previous survey6 . As the first choice for a variety of audience segments, including Chinese aged 15+, millennials aged between 25 and 34, premier audiences and parents, it simultaneously claimed the accolade of top digital station with 457,000 digital listeners, and recorded an overall engagement rate of 6 hours 38 minutes.Placing overall second by a narrow margin, but coming in first on both market share and engagement rate is LOVE 972, with 951,000 listeners (22.1% of weekly listenership) who tuned in for 10 hours 22 minutes weekly. This represents an increase of 1 hour 28 minutes since the last survey, which also marks the highest jump in audience engagement across all stations surveyed. Beyond its list of accolades, the station is also the prime choice among women aged 15+, and notably, silvers aged 55+, with whom it achieved a listenership growth of 11%.In overall third place, CLASS 95 continues to be the top English radio station. Following a 3.3% increase in reach, the station recorded 877,000 listeners (20.4% of weekly listenership) who spent an average time of 4 hours 30 minutes listening weekly. Beyond establishing itself as the preferred station among men aged 15+ and PMEBs (professionals, managers, executives and businessmen), the station also achieved a near doubling in digital listenership from 231,000 to 446,000, marking the highest increase among all stations surveyed.In fourth place is CAPITAL 958, which reached 668,000 listeners (15.5% of weekly listenership) and recorded an engagement rate of 10 hours 5 minutes. As a close runner-up to LOVE 972 among silver audiences aged 55+, the station grew 15,000 digital listeners since the last survey6 , marking the third consecutive year of growth on the digital front.Coming in at fifth place for the second year in a row is Malay station Warna 942, which celebrates a highest ever reach of 529,000 listeners (12.3% of weekly listenership) who tuned in for 9 hours 27 minutes weekly. Having recorded a stunning 89.9% increase in digital listenership from 109,000 to 207,000, it is the undisputed top station among Malays, and comes in third among Indians aged 15+. Following closely behind in seventh place is 987, which records 481,000 listeners and retains the honour of being the top station among those between 15 and 24 years old, growing its reach by 51.3% to reach 174,000 listeners. This includes a steady growth in digital listenership, which increased by 80,000 since the last survey6 to hit a record 270,000 listeners. Following closely behind in eighth place is GOLD 905, with 408,000 listeners who spend 4 hours 10 minutes tuning in to the station weekly.Breaking into the top 10 leaderboard for the first time ever is the nation’s preferred English news station CNA938 in ninth place, with a weekly reach of 380,000. This includes a digital listenership of 292,000, representing a 79.1% growth in digital reach, or 129,000 listeners, since the last survey6 . Also breaking personal bests is Oli 968, the top station among Indians 15+. In tenth place, it achieved a record listenership of 348,000 (8.1% of weekly listenership) with an engagement rate of 6 hours 29 minutes.Meanwhile, listenership on classical music station Symphony 924 has remained largely stable at 214,000 (5.0% of weekly listenership); followed by Ria 897 at 133,000 (3.1% of weekly listenership), making it the third leading station for Malays aged 15+. Digital station Indiego, also made its debut in the survey with 2,000 listeners tuning in weekly to the latest indie music from Singapore and around the world.Digital radio network records fourth consecutive year of growthAs Mediacorp continues to boost its suite of digital offerings including the variety of digital audio content such as podcasts, its digital radio network achieved a fourth consecutive year of growth in listenership, achieving a compound annualised growth (CAGR) of 17% over five years since 2018. This translates into a reach of more than 1.63 million listeners, or nine in ten digital listeners, with close to seven hours of weekly engagement.These results correspond with the uptick in performance for Mediacorp’s digital audio service meLISTEN, which saw a growth of 7.4% this year in monthly average unique visitors7 , which reached to 679,973 unique visitors. In terms of podcast content, downloads spiked 41.1% compared to last year to reach a total of 995,585 average downloads monthly8 .Mediacorp’s Chief Executive Officer, Tham Loke Kheng said: “To be continually recognised as the top audio network in Singapore is not an accolade that Mediacorp takes lightly. We are committed to delivering the finest content to entertain, inform and inspire listeners across all demographic segments, and are proud that the latest Nielsen survey has affirmed our success in doing so. As we celebrate being the preferred audio network for a record 3.8 million listeners, we will continue working hard to curate the music they love, create compelling content they enjoy, and connect with them across our network.” […]

US

iHeartRadio Sets Initiatives For Hip Hop 50th Anniversary

iHeartMedia, the number one audio company in America, today announced “iHeartRadio Presents: 50 Years of Hip-Hop,” a yearlong celebration of hip-hop and its impact on today’s society and culture. iHeartMedia will dedicate its multi-platform assets including broadcast radio, streaming, podcast and nationally recognized events and massive reach to share the story of artists and creators […] […]

US

Jay C. Lowe Joins iHeartMedia As Oklahoma Area President

iHeartMedia has announced the appointment of Jay C. Lowe as Area President of its stations in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Lowe joins iHeartMedia from Sinclair Broadcasting where he served as VP/GM for their stations in Mobile AL and Pensacola FL. He previously has served as General Manager for Sinclair in Birmingham and GM/GSM for KEYE-TV […] […]