As much as 77 per cent of Irish adults listen to radio on FM while only eight per cent of the population, 330,000 people, listen in on a digital device, the JNLR’s ‘Radio in a Digital World’ report by Ipsos/MRBI shows. Of those that tune in digitally, 4.8 per cent use a mobile device, 1.9 per cent are on a PC/laptop, 1.7 per cent on a smart speaker and the rest on TV or DAB.
The research shows that younger audiences are listening to radio in large numbers. In the 15-24 age group, and despite the intensively competitive media environment, almost 70 per cent listen to Irish radio daily. In contrast, 38 per cent of them listen to Spotify every day. Just over half of the cohort listen to radio via an FM device and 16 per cent on a digital device.
Strong
The digital tools used are for the most part a mobile device (11.9 per cent), with the PC/laptop used by 2.6 per cent and smart speakers used by 1.9 per cent. Despite widespread media content, platforms and devices, Irish radio maintains strong audiences, with the report showing 3.2 million people now tuned in to radio each weekday – 81 per cent of over-15s.
The number of adults listening to radio, 81 per cent, is second only to TV viewing at 85 per cent, followed by social media on 53 per cent, viewing VOD services such as Netflix on 28 per cent and listening to music on Spotify, 15 per cent. One in five adults downloaded a radio app to their smart device. In all, 13.3m hours is spent listening to radio each week.
The JNLR committee members:
- Scott Williams, Wireless (Independent Chair)
- Barry Dooley, AAI
- Andrew Robinson, BAI
- Helen O’Rourke, IAPI (agency representative on IAPI board)
- Katie Boylan, IRS+
- Gavin Deans, Media Central
- Diarmuid O’Leary, Red FM
- Gareth Ivory, RTE
- Dan Healy, RTE
- Keith McCormack, Today FM
- Brian McCarthy, Urban Media
