Nielsen Report Reveals Strength of AM Listening Across U.S.

RADIO ONLINE | Friday, June 9, 2023 | 12:31pm CT

Nielsen

This month, state broadcaster associations will converge on Washington, DC with the NAB to urge elected officials to support the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act to keep free, local radio in cars. Broadcasters will also relate how AM radio is the backbone of our country's emergency alert system and how keeping AM in cars protects Americans from risk.

It was just a month ago that Nielsen revealed compelling insights on the power of the AM radio audience from their Fall 2022 survey. Now, Nielsen is releasing a deeper dive on the vitality of AM radio in local markets with new data at the state and local DMA level. The full report is now available on the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group blog.

• Nielsen reports 82,346,800 Americans listen to AM radio monthly. One out of three American AM/FM radio listeners are reached monthly by AM radio. 57% of the AM radio audience listens to News/Talk stations, the very outlets that Americans turn to in times of crisis and breaking local news.

• The state analysis reveals states with the largest proportion of AM listening tend to be from the Midwest with a few from the West Coast. The states with the largest AM radio usage have a wide variety of sizes and broad geographical diversity.

• From the DMA analysis, DMAs with the largest proportion of AM listening tend to be smaller, rural, and from the Midwest. The DMAs with strong AM radio usage have a wide variety of sizes and broad geographical diversity.