Arbitron has announced highlights from its March 2013 RADAR 116 National Radio Listening Report. The report shows radio’s audience increased year over year, adding more than 1.6 million weekly listeners. Radio now reaches 242.8 million listeners on an average weekly basis.

Teens aged 12 to 17 shows the largest gains among the major age demographics. Radio now reaches nearly 23 million teens in an average week. Radio listening also remains steady among Adults aged 18 to 34, reaching 66.5 million people, or 92 percent, in this demographic. 

The new data also shows that radio continues to reach a large, diverse audience. According to the March 2013 RADAR report, radio saw gains in the Black (non-Hispanic) audience across all major demographic groups versus the March 2012 report.  The Hispanic audience also grew, adding  nearly 1.1 million listeners in an average week.

• Radio’s Black (non-Hispanic) audience aged 12 and older added 741,000 weekly listeners versus the March 2012 RADAR report.  Radio reaches more than 92 percent of Black (non-Hispanic) listeners aged 12 and older in an average week. 
• Black (non-Hispanic) Adults aged 18 to 34 shows the most gain, adding more than 200,000 listeners in an average week, versus the year ago report. 
• Radio now reaches more than 39.5 million Hispanics aged 12 and older in an average week, or 95 percent of this demographic.  
• Hispanic adults aged 25 to 54 shows the largest gains, adding more than 1.1 million weekly listeners versus the year ago report.

A new feature in the RADAR 116 March 2013 report is the inclusion of listening metrics for HD multicasts and AM/FM/HD streaming stations. The data shows that radio is using new platforms effectively to reach more listeners.  According to the RADAR March 2012 report, HD multicasts reach nearly 3.6 million persons aged 12 and older. Streams of AM/FM/HD radio also reach a broad audience. More than 5.4 million persons aged 12 and older tune into AM/FM/HD streams during an average week. Adults aged 18 to 49 make up the majority of this audience, with more than 3.5 million people in this demographic accessing streaming AM/FM/HD stations in an average week. 

The sample size for the RADAR March 2013 is 395,844 persons aged 12 and older. This large sample is designed to provide more stability for key demographic estimates, dayparts, and Market-by-Market Analysis reports, which report all individual DMAs. The RADAR March 2013 Report includes data from all 48 Arbitron PPM markets. The survey dates for RADAR 116 were from January 5, 2012 to December 5, 2012.