We've talked about the amount of listening on Digital Platforms but who is the competition for radio listeners in that realm?....
"iPod/portable MP3 player ownership and iPod use continues to grow dramatically.
- 42% of persons age 12 and older own an iPod or other brand of portable MP3 player
- 64% of 18-to-24 year-olds own a digital audio player
- 32% of teens age 12-to-17 and persons 18-to-24 are spending less time with over-the-air radio specifically due to time spent with iPod/other portable MP3 players
- 22% of Americans age 12 and older have ever listened to an audio podcast
- 11% (27 million) reported having listened to an audio podcast in the past month in 2009
Tom Webster, vice president of strategy and marketing, Edison Research, concludes that "... consumer use of new digital platforms... is becoming nearly ubiquitous... a window of opportunity for radio to... spread its content across the expanding choices consumers use to control their media experience."
The Center for Media Research paints a picture that we need to heed, radio is competing with Ipods or MP3 players and as time goes on, audience looking for variety will go online to station streaming or specialty niche sites that they can listen to over the web on their Cell Phones. I hate disagree with those in the industry that don't want to stream or develop new formats on HD or the Web but we are in a service industry and if we don't offer the services our listeners want, someone else will.