RAB Responds to SiriusXM Email Claims About Radio

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Radio Advertising Bureau

RAB is responding to the recent email shared by SiriusXM asking consumers, "Why waste your time with AM/FM radio?" RAB says negative advertising, selling products or services by putting the competition down, is a marketing strategy that demonstrates a lack of strength in the product or service as a standalone. In the case of SiriusXM, when taking a look at their most recent earnings report, the trade group says it's no wonder their strategy was to go after the "undisputed leader in the audio space, AM/FM broadcast radio."

The SiriusXM email, naturally, was met with an emotional reaction by radio professionals, but the email contained no rationale for their leading question.

Broadcast radio leads with facts:

• Radio reaches 218M people 18+ weekly as compared to SiriusXM's 34M subscribers. (Sources: Nielsen, RADAR 153, June 2022; SXM Q1 2022 Results)

• Radio reaches 93% of adults every month compared to satellite radio at 13%. (Source: Nielsen Audio Today 2022, June 2022)

• Most people listen to AM/FM radio and not SiriusXM - 76% of people listen to AM/FM radio while 11% only listen to SiriusXM (Source: Edison Research Share of Ear Q2 2021-Q1 2022)

• AM/FM radio is the audio source used most often in the car: 43% of adults use it vs. 14% using SiriusXM with an even greater gap among Hispanic and Black audiences. (Source: The Infinite Dial 2022, Edison Research/Wondery/ART19)

• 51% of radio listeners state that their connection with radio is a main reason why they listen and 62% of radio listeners state that radio's on-air personalities are a main reason why they listen. (Source: Jacobs Media, Techsurvey 2022)

• With over 15,000 local radio stations providing live and on-demand content 24/7 across a variety of formats, languages and platforms, radio delivers what the consumers want, whenever they want it. (Source: FCC, December 2021)

• Radio is trusted more than any other media.

• Radio doesn't just reach the community; it is woven into the fabric of community. Radio stations bring consumers together and motivates them to act.

• Radio is essential to consumers and communities. Time after time, when disaster strikes, radio stations are "on the ground" and often the first and only source to provide timely information and provide support to the communities it serves.

• In exchange for obtaining a valuable license to operate using public airwaves, broadcast radio stations are required by law to operate in the public interest. This is simply the foundation. Radio stations go well beyond what is required to unite audiences around common interests and social and community values.

RAB says Radio, across its platforms, is a go-to source for its great storytelling, the emotional connections it provides, the talent that consumers consider to be their friends and the trusted information and entertainment, whenever and wherever the listener wants and needs it. From rock to religion, from country to hip-hop, in Spanish, English or another language, radio is there offering diversity of content to a diverse listening audience.

"No other media option can do all this. No other media offers this to consumers for free. The reality is quite simple, time spent with AM/FM radio is time well spent," said the RAB.