You didn’t think those special days calendars would ignore the tried-and-trusted radio, did you?
To celebrate National Radio Day, I’m sharing a few stats to remind you: When you build media lists, don’t ignore radio stations and other audio platforms.
Criticize the old box if you want, but it still matters to millions of people. Nielsen’s 2026 first-quarter numbers show 82% of U.S. adults listen to the radio in a given week, including 81% of the coveted 18-34 age group.
National Public Media asked consumers what they listen to in the car.
Audio as a whole? According to National Public Media, 76% of people ages 12 and older listen to something each week. That, along with Nielsen numbers, means when you’re a guest on a radio show, your target audience listens.
So if you think video owns most of our attention, the numbers say otherwise. From listening to radio in the car to podcasts during a cardio workout, audio still rules. (** Have you ever tried to watch a game or video podcast while on a walk? Yeah, that tree did come out of nowhere.)
Radio connects communities. It entertains and informs, especially when it comes to sports and news. When your power goes out, your phone dies and a storm approaches, where do you find out if you should get out from under that tree? It’s the ol’ radio. 📻
PR SIDEeffect: The great thing about audio today as opposed to, say, 30 years ago is that most shows are archived. That means your message has staying power. You can use radio and other audio segments to expand your public relations program.
Want people to listen to you? I’ll show you how to create a PR meal from a radio morsel. Shoot me a note at [email protected]. TTYS.
###
©2026 Gail Sideman; gpublicity.com; SIDEbar
