Research Study
How Canadians listen to radio
The following information is a summary of the 2010 Foundation Research study results. An RMB proprietary study, Foundation Research demonstrates radio's continued relevance in a complex and evolving media market. Key findings from the 5th annual survey show radio is an integral part of Canadians' daily life. Consumers tune in while using the internet, driving, working, and most importantly, on their way to shop. The study also provides relevant data on radio's ability to drive consumers to the web, the use of radio station websites, and much more.
The study was was based on a telephone survey of 1,060 English Canadians representative of the national population considering age and regional distribution.
Canadians spend over 2 hours daily with radio
Radio continues to be an integral part of Canadians' daily life. Adults spend an average of 2 hours and 12 minutes with radio daily, equal to the results from the Foundation Research study published in January 2006. Radio accounts for approximately 1/3 of adults' total daily time spent with media, and share increases for working adults and Canadians living in households with above average income.
| Share of daily media time adults 18+ | Radio's share of daily media time |
 |  |
Radio most popular medium during work day
For a typical work day radio is the dominant medium; on average adults listen to broadcast radio for 2 hours and 14 minutes accounting for 1/3 of total media. When you include time spent with online radio share increases to 40%.
| Share of media time for a typical work day - adults 18 |
 |
Over 80% report same or more time spent with radio
83% of adults report that their time with radio remained the same or increased during the past year. Over the past 4 Foundations Research studies, radio and the internet have had the highest percentage of respondents indicating that their time had remained the same or increased, with an average of 84% and 86% respectively.
| Adults 18+ Time spent with media |
| Medium | Same/increased | Decreased |
| Internet | 85% | 15% |
| Radio | 83% | 17% |
| Newspaper | 77% | 23% |
| TV | 74% | 26% |
| Magazine | 72% | 28% |
82% or more of key target audiences felt their time with radio had increased or remained the same.
| Time spent with radio |
 |
More time in car and at-work listening drive increase
More time spent in the car and the ability to listen at work are the primary reasons for increased radio listening.
| Main reason for increased radio listening |
| Reason for increased tuning | % |
| Can listen at work | 25% |
| More time spent in car | 22% |
| Found a new station I like | 13% |
Radio listening increased significantly
Listening happens anytime, anywhere. Results from 2010 indicate that daytime listening has increased significantly over the past few years.
| % Listening by daypart (Mo-Sun) |
 |
Activities and lifestyle influence listening habits
Radio accompanies every activity, adults surveyed listened while running errands, commuting, relaxing at home or during work. Lifestyle influences radio listening; specific audiences are above average listeners during activities that are part of their daily routine.
| Activity while listening | A18+ | A18-34 | A25-54 | Adults w/
children | HHI $100K+ |
| Shopping /running errands | 76% | 75% | 79% | 79% | 77% |
| Commute to work/school | 67% | 75% | 77% | 81% | 77% |
| Relaxing at home | 44% | 38% | 40% | 39% | 42% |
| At work/school | 38% | 53% | 45% | 44% | 35% |
| Surfing the internet | 27% | 39% | 30% | 30% | 29% |
Radio station websites picking up major steam
Canadians interact with their favourite radio stations online. 39% of respondents have visited a radio station website. This response has been consistent since the initial Foundation Research Study was published 4 years ago.
Young Canadians, business professionals and adults in households with above average income are more likely to visit a station website.
| Visited a Radio Station Website |
 |
Streaming local stations now common
Close to 1/3 of adults have streamed radio online, with 58% of those streaming local radio stations. The majority of Canadians listen to online radio at home (69%) with work being the second most popular location (23%).
Young Canadians are above average when it comes to online tuning; 46% report that they have listened online, and 60% of those listening online are tuned to a local station at least once a month.
| Listened to radio online |
 |
Implications for advertisers
Radio is a versatile medium that offers advertisers consistent market presence for their brands - listening is ubiquitous, frequent and in tune with the Canadian lifestyle.