• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, October 17, 2002

Women Listen To Radio For Music, But Really Want Something Else

A segment of a study by Arbitron/Joint Communications of American women radio listeners, focusing on 18- to 54-year-old females who listen to radio, finds that one group of women (approximately 11% of all radio listeners) really drives "contesting", and those women share certain expectations from radio. In this study, women were asked questions about lifestyle, loves/hates about radio, reasons for tuning in or out, and specific radio behaviors and needs. In the study, factors (correlated variables that help identify the driving forces that motivate listeners) are linked to reasons for tuning in to radio and tuning out of radio to issues of personal importance.

The report identifies nine factor groups driving tune-in. Each of these nine groups is looking for music when they first turn on the radio, yet each of them is attracted to a specific aspect of radio programming. And the #1 reason they tune out is "too many commercials." With that in mind, here's a look at nine factor groups that drive radio tuning among women.

1. Mood Seekers. They use radio to change their mood, especially to make them feel good and relax.

2. Infoholics. Radio keeps them informed.

3. Laughers & Gamers. They want to laugh, play contests and engage in having fun.

4. Worried, Poor & Angry. Radio is an escape, a way of turning off and finding comfort in music.

5. Just Music Fans. Radio is a jukebox. They want to hear lots of music they like and nothing else.

6. Optimists. They love to hear their favorite songs and to keep up-to-date. They’re looking for radio that reinforces their positive attitude towards the world.

7. Sports Fans. Mostly, they’re listening to music they like, including up-to-date songs. However, they really enjoy sports information and play-by-play broadcasts. The only other factor group of women who enjoy sports in any way is "Infoholics."

8. Loners. Although women in this group spend a lot of time by themselves, they really respond well when radio reaches out to them and visits their workplace. Although they don’t spend as much time with radio as other factor groups, when they do listen, it makes a big impact.

9. Risqué Fans. This young, liberal, Internet-savvy crowd likes radio with an edge. Although they enjoy laughing, they aren’t too big on contests, and although they don’t want radio to get too rude, they are the least likely to tune out because of rude announcers or inappropriate content.

You can find out more here.