• by May 3, 2001

As the Internet continues to grow, a radio station’s online presence becomes increasingly important. To date, however, the radio industry lacks a comprehensive synthesis of this information. This “Radio Station Web Site Content: An In-Depth Look,” is a report which addresses current content radio as well as recommendations as to what content they should have.

Edison Media Research and Arbitron have been at the forefront of research on audio and the Internet with a series of insightful and provocative studies. Internet Study V, released in September 2000, focuses on topics ranging from the latest trends in Internet use, to the buying power of “Streamies,” to the importance of radio station Web sites.

The study included more than 3000 radio “diary keepers,” 14,700 Web site visitors to 33 leading radio stations, and content analysis of 412 radio station Web sites from 30 markets.

According to Internet Study V, 22% of Americans (age 12+) have visited a radio station Web site. This projects to a total of about 50 million Americans having ever visited a radio station Web site. Internet Study V showed that, in general, men are more likely than women to have visited a radio station Web site. In addition, younger people are more likely than their older counterparts to visit radio station Web sites. Those most likely to have visited a radio station Web site are 12–17 year olds, while people age 65 and older are the least likely.

% who have ever visited a radio station Web site

Age
12 - 17 36%
18 - 24 35%
25 – 34 29%
35 - 44 22%
45 - 54 20%
55 - 64 12%
65+ 3%

76% of radio station Web site visitors are “over the air” listeners as well. Of the formats examined, only News/Talk and Classical Web sites received a large number of visitors who do not also listen to the station most “over the air. In general, almost all (90%) of the radio station Web site visitors cume the “over the air” broadcasts of the stations whose Web sites they visited.

Eight out of ten radio station Web site visitors said they had heard radio stations talking about their Web sites on the air. In addition, nearly 75% of radio station Web site visitors said they had first learned about the Web site they were visiting by hearing the station talking about it on the air.

68% of the radio station Web site visitors said they visit at least once a month, but fewer than 25% say that they visit those radio station Web sites every day.

More than 30% of those who listen to that station online say they spend more than one hour at the station’s Web site each time they visit, compared to only 6% of those who do not listen to that station online.

Nearly 50% of them typically stay longer than 20 minutes. 46% of the radio station Web site visitors said that their visits typically lasted 21 minutes or longer.

Radio station Web site visitors were also asked a series of agree/disagree questions related to the sites. Check out the report for 15 more pages of details…

In essence, few radio station Web sites are vibrant and active enough to compel daily visitation. Instead, many of these sites are little more than Internet brochures for radio stations.

Source: Edison Media Research/Arbitron

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