Cell Phones, Not Radios Waking America Up

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, June 2, 2014 | 11:58am CT

Unsettling news for radio morning shows -- more and more Americans are waking up to cell phones rather than the traditional radio alarm clock. In their new Techsurvey10 report, Jacobs Media asked: How do you wake up in the morning?

As it turns out, these days a majority of North Americans wake up with their phones - especially to ring tones and sounds. The traditional clock radio, blaring a radio morning show, is now a distant second. And it's interesting to note that hardly any respondents wake up to a mobile phone playing a radio station stream, signaling a major opportunity for brands with a prominent morning show.

Wake-up patterns are highly generational. In fact, while Gen Xers, Boomers, and those in the Silent Generation are more apt to be traditional risers with a clock radio, the younger groups - Gen Y and Gen Z - rely on their phones for getting them out of bed. This data strongly suggests that broadcast stations need mobile strategies that include alarm clock/streaming functions in station apps. Or at the very least, ring tones featuring the station morning show. The digital age has disrupted many things - including the media and gadgets that consumers use to wake up. Over time, this may already be having a profound effect on broadcast radio morning ratings.

For more information about Techsurvey10, Click HereTechsurvey10 results were gathered online from January 14-20, 2014. Overall, 199 broadcast stations across the U.S. and Canada participated, contributing 37,063 respondents.