Nielsen Q2 Total Audience Report: Radio holds steady, smartphone use balloons

Nielsen has released its Total Audience Report for Q2 2017. The analysis included a spotlight on AM/FM radio consumption. Most of radio’s consumption happens out of the home while listeners are working or shopping. Nielsen found that listeners with full-time employment are heavier radio users than unemployed listeners, tuning in for an average of 2.5 hours more each week. Daily reach for black Americans was 67% and weekly reach was 93%. For Hispanics, the daily reach was 73% and weekly reach was 98%. Across the whole U.S. population, radio’s monthly reach was 97%.

Radio secured 1 hour, 50 minutes of average time spent in the second quarter for the average U.S. adult. Live TV continues to hold the largest share at 3 hour,55 minutes, although that figure has declined over the past two years. Smartphone use of apps and web ballooned up to 2 hours, 27 minutes, compared with 1 hour, 43 minutes in Q2 2016 and 1 hour, 9 minutes in Q2 2015.

AM/FM radio had weekly time spent of 12 hours, 15 minutes for the total population. Teens had the lowest amount, posting weekly time spent of only 6 hours, 51 minutes, while the 50-64 age bracket had the most with 15 hours, 11 minutes. The audience size also had a similar spread, with 23,877 among teens and 62,714 for the demographic aged 50-64.