Nielsen: News/Talk, AC Off to Strong Start in 2018

RADIO ONLINE | Sunday, March 25, 2018

Nielsen has compared eight years of monthly PPM data across the same formats and demographics, finding the AC format is off to a strong start in 2018, one of it's strongest of all time since the advent of PPM measurement. Continuing the trend, News/Talk was strong again in February, and helped by annual considerations such as nor'easter season in the northeast and a newer surge in interest ever since the new administration came into office.

A good comparison to make to judge News/Talk's performance (which includes both commercial and non-commercial stations in PPM markets) is to contrast this past February with the same month in 2014 -- entering the second full year of the presidential administration. The format has increased its share of audience significantly across the board in 2018.

While these formats are noting changes over a longer horizon, Nielsen says it's also revealing to shorten the scope and compare trends in January and February of last year with trends in the same months from this year. What's more, the year-over-year changes for the top radio formats among Millennials (ages 18-34) offer some key insight into how the tastes of younger listeners are changing.

The table below compares the audience share in January and February combined between 2017 and 2018 for the top 10 most popular formats among Millennials. Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR) remains the top format, but tune-in has declined nearly a full share point in the past year. Hot AC and Urban Contemporary are also down, year-over-year, while AC, Alternative and Classic Hits are all up more significantly.