Radio remains America’s most widely used ad-supported audio platform, but its long-term strength will depend on something more fundamental: whether the listening experience actually delivers what viewers want.
That was the central message from consultants Mike McVeigh, president of McVeigh Media, and Laura Ivey of Edison Research during a wide-ranging conversation at the NAB Show where data and anecdotes converged on a clear theme. Radio’s biggest challenges are often self-inflicted.
“There are a lot of things in radio today that are contrary to what the audience wants,” McVeigh said. “We’ve hurt the listening experience.”
Audio still dominates, but competition is everywhere
According to Edison Share of Ear data, Americans spend just under four hours per day listening to audio, a number that has remained roughly stable for more than a decade. This includes all audio listening, including paid subscriptions without ads. But the way we allocate that time has changed dramatically.
AM/FM radio still accounts for 33% of daily audio listening, the single largest share, but that’s down from about half in 2014 due to fragmented streaming, podcasting, and YouTube usage.
Still, wireless holds a strong advantage in reach. According to Edison data, AM/FM reaches 57% of Americans 13 and older every day, far more than any other audio platform.
The myth of the “aging listener”
One of the industry’s persistent concerns, that radio is driven solely by older audiences, is not fully supported.
Among listeners aged 13-34, radio still accounts for 20% of their daily audio time, much of it in the car. The percentage jumps to 36% for those aged 35 to 54, and nearly half for those aged 55 and older.
“Young listeners don’t necessarily think they listen to radio,” McVeigh said, citing the example of teens using in-car systems and apps without distinguishing between platforms.
In-car listening remains radio’s stronghold
Despite increasing dashboard competition, radio continues to dominate in-car listening. Edison reports that 55% of total in-car audio time is spent on AM/FM, including 46% of younger listeners.
Radio is preferred when travel time is short (often less than 10 minutes), as listeners prefer immediate, fluid content over setting up playlists or podcasts.
But discovery remains problematic.
“There’s a lot of competition going on inside the dashboard,” Ivey said, noting that the new system could make it harder to find AM/FM, especially for inexperienced users.
Streaming is growing – but wireless still dominates
Radio streaming is on the rise, but nearly 90% of all radio listening still happens over the air.
This gap highlights both opportunities and weaknesses.
“Streaming should have fewer technical issues, but it doesn’t,” McVeigh reiterated, citing repeated ads, glitches and poor execution. “Radio should be everywhere and heard everywhere.”
Commercial Road: Experience Killer
Perhaps the sharpest criticism centers on the commercial breaks.
Although research consistently shows that listeners prefer short, frequent breaks (less than 2 minutes), many broadcasters still run long break sets closer to 10 minutes or more.
“We’ve taught our viewers that if you stop, your 10 minutes are over,” McVeigh said. “That’s the challenge.”
He pointed to New York stations limiting commercials to six minutes per hour as evidence that lighter loads can achieve higher ratings, but acknowledged that economic tradeoffs make change difficult.
The quality of creativity is also important. Ivey noted that younger listeners respond more favorably to ads that match the surrounding content, similar to podcast-style production, than traditional spot breaks.
Podcasting: From threat to opportunity
Podcasting continues to grow, with 58% of Americans reporting that they listen to it monthly. Rather than seeing this as competition, McVeigh urged broadcasters to embrace this as an extension of their brand.
“If listeners are going to leave your station for a podcast, wouldn’t you want it to be yours?” he said.
This medium also enhances radio’s key advantage of personality-driven connections.
Listeners are increasingly seeking deeper relationships with talent, and podcasting, along with video, provides an additional way to create those bonds.
The human element still wins
One point that both speakers were clear about was the importance of credibility.
Qualitative research on AI-generated audio shows that there is strong resistance among listeners to such content as it lacks “humanity” and emotional connection.
In the Edison survey, one respondent said, “I would feel cheated.”
McVeigh’s advice to talent is: “Do what AI can’t do. Be realistic. Be emotional. Be observant.”
Fix your listening experience
Ultimately, the session returned to a core idea: that the future of radio depends more on internal execution than on external threats.
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