Bridge Ratings & Research has just released the results from a new study on radio listeners who own MP3 players, and how the digital music players affect their TSL. Bridge tracked a group of over 3,000 radio listeners for three months to determine how long they've owned their digital music players, how often they use them, how their use changes over time and how it affects their time spent with terrestrial radio. Bridge determined that for new owners of MP3 players, their use of the device is extremely high and their time spent with radio plummets, especially among those under the age of 24. But interestingly, as time goes on, their time spent with radio begins to increase again.

Specifically, when asked, "Are you listening to the radio more, the same or less than you were three months ago?," only 19 percent of those who owned an MP3 player for less than a month said they listen to radio more, while 32 percent said they listen to radio less. Of the individuals who owned their digital players for three months, 15 percent said they listen to radio more and 30 percent said they listen less. However, when people were surveyed who have owned an MP3 player for more than six months, 25 percent said they listen to the radio more, and only eight percent said they listen less. Sixty-seven percent said they are listening to the same amount of radio as they were three months ago.

The figures are more extreme when looked at in the 12 to 18 age demographic. In that group of teens who have had an MP3 player for less than a month, only five percent of them listen to the radio more than they did three months prior. Seventy-six percent said they listen to the radio less. After owning a digital device for four to six months, the number goes down to 60 percent who listen to radio less. After more than six months, 10 percent say they listen to the radio more than they did three months prior while only 45 percent say they listen less. So among teens, Bridge found that digital music players clearly impact their radio listening during the first few months of ownership, but at four months, the reduction of radio listening begins to level off and then increase.

Overall, MP3 players are less of a threat to terrestrial radio than one might think. While new owners of the gadgets show a decline in TSL, the longer people own these devices, the more they return to traditional radio. For complete results, visit BridgeRatings.com.