Nielsen: Radio Audience Grows

The most recent survey of U.S. radio listeners shows their numbers have increased.

Nielsen says its second quarter Audio Today report found that 244.4 Americans -- 92 percent of the population -- 12 years old and older are listening, a new record.  

African American and Hispanic listenership helped boost this number. Nielsen says more than 71 million from these demographics tune in each week, or 29.6 percent of the total national audience.

On its website Nielsen says:

"The growth is remarkable considering the variety and number of media choices available to consumers today over-the-air and online via smartphones, tablets, notebooks/desktop computers and digital dashboards. Radio’s hyper-local nature uniquely serves each market which keeps it tied strongly to our daily lives no matter how (or where) we tune in.

"The radio landscape is a diverse community of listeners from every corner of America that reflects the same population trends of the country as a whole. Radio is one of the original mass mediums, and as the U.S. population grows and the makeup of our citizens changes, radio audiences follow suit.