Study: Commuting Rebounds for Media Buyers

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, May 18, 2026 | 4:47pm CT

Cumulus Media | Westwood One

A new blog post from Cumulus Media | Westwood One's Audio Active Group says commuting among marketers, media agency executives, and average Americans continues to rebound, helping reinforce AM/FM radio's position as a dominant advertising platform for in-car listening.

The report combines findings from two April 2026 studies commissioned by the Audio Active Group - one conducted by Advertiser Perceptions among 301 media agencies and brands, and another national consumer survey conducted by Quantilope among 1,601 adults.

According to the research, 64% of marketers and media agency professionals now commute to work "most or all days," the highest level recorded since tracking began in 2022. Another 28% reported commuting "some days," bringing the total percentage of buy-side executives commuting to offices to 92%.

Among the general public, the Quantilope study found that 85% of Americans who commuted before the pandemic are now working outside the home again. The report noted that average Americans currently spend slightly more time in the workplace than advertising professionals, averaging 4.7 days per week in-office compared to 4.4 days for marketers and agencies.

The blog also cited Edison Research's Q1 2026 "Share of Ear" report, which found AM/FM radio maintains an 83% share of ad-supported in-car audio listening.

Pierre Bouvard, Chief Insights Officer for Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group, said the findings show that commuting patterns have largely returned to pre-pandemic levels for many audiences, benefiting out-of-home media and radio advertising.

The studies also found that both marketers and average Americans are most likely to work in-office Monday through Thursday, with Friday continuing to show the lowest levels of workplace attendance. In addition, 73% of marketers and agencies said they have resumed in-person vendor meetings, while 76% reported returning to in-person conferences and events.

The blog concludes that AM/FM radio remains "the soundtrack of the American worker," particularly as commuting and office attendance continue to increase.

Read the entire blog post here.