The following summarizes some key radio marketing trends that FMR Associates has been tracking since the mid-90's - including advertising visibility and contesting attitudes. These findings represent an analysis of more than 85,000 radio listeners from various studies, conducted among a cross-section of markets over the past several years. Results for the 2007 column are further broken out by major audience format categories. With a sample size this large, even a 1% difference is significant. Findings for each report year include all data obtained in studies since the previous report year.

Recent Change in Listenership - To what degree do target audience members change their station listening patterns? Increasingly, their patterns of listening preferences are becoming more and more stable. Between 1997 to 1999, nearly one-half of all survey respondents said that they had switched their listening patterns recently. Now, only one-third are recent "station switchers" -- and this is true regardless of music station format.

Favorite Station Loyalty – Consistent with general listening patterns, station loyalty has remained about the same. About as many now say that it would be "pretty difficult" (26%, down slightly from 27%) as "fairly easy" (27%, up slightly from 26%) for them to switch from their current favorite station. The reverse was true prior to 2001.

Fans with the least favorite station "loyalty" are those who prefer Rock (32%) or Spanish (28%) radio stations. For all other formats, about one of four say it would be "easy" to get them to switch. Spanish radio station fans are also more apt to be "fence sitters" ("not easy, but possible" to switch) (52%), with the least amound of strong loyalty (16% "difficult"). On the other hand, Country (34% "difficult" versus 22% "easy") and Hot AC (33% "difficult" versus 21% "easy") fans are clearly the most loyal to their current favorite station.

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