Facebook Use Rebounds With Radio Slightly as X Slides
| RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, October 8, 2025 | 9:50pm CT |
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 RTDNA |
The latest RTDNA/Newhouse School at Syracuse University Survey shows that U.S. radio stations are gradually shifting their social media strategies, with Facebook use rebounding modestly while activity on X (formerly Twitter) continues to decline.
After sharp drop-offs in X use last year, this year's survey found fewer stations reporting constant engagement on the platform. Meanwhile, Facebook usage ticked upward by 1.6 percentage points overall, with large-market stations leading the increase - up 8.2 points compared to 2024.
Commercial stations saw a 4.5% rise in Facebook activity after a 5% decline last year, while non-commercial stations dropped 2.8%. Despite minor fluctuations, nearly all radio stations maintain a Facebook page, with only small-market outlets showing a slight decline.
The survey also highlighted differences in platform preferences by market size. Major-market stations were far more likely to use YouTube, while medium markets split usage evenly between TikTok and Threads. Smaller markets reported the most enthusiasm for Snapchat.
Non-commercial broadcasters were more active than their commercial counterparts across nearly every platform - except Snapchat - and were notably more present on BlueSky, reflecting public media guidance in 2024 discouraging use of X.
The RTDNA/Newhouse Survey was conducted in the fourth quarter of 2024 and included 1,918 television stations and a random sample of 4,763 radio stations nationwide.
