MeasureCast, Inc.has released its May Internet Radio report, which shows that some 4.3 million people listened to Webcasters measured by MeasureCast, up from 3.9
million listeners in April. But Internet radio fans had fewer stations from which to choose. MeasureCast measured 1,294 stations in May, down from 1,351 in April, and 1,414 stations in March.
"Consumer interest in, and demand for Internet radio continues to grow," said MeasureCast CEO Ed Hardy. "During the past 17 months, we have seen only two months during which the total number of
hours streamed by Webcasters has dropped. The first decline occurred as a result of the AFTRA crisis in April, 2001. The second dip was recorded last November, and was due in part to the Thanksgiving
holiday week."
In May, the 1,294 stations measured by MeasureCast streamed a combined total of 38,086,043 hours of entertainment, up from 34,104,851 hours of radio programming streamed during
April, and 27,783,465 hours streamed in March.
The Clear Channel Worldwide network of 199 streaming AM and FM stations delivered 7,310,581 hours of entertainment - 369,538 more hours than the
network streamed in April - making it the leading Internet radio network measured by MeasureCast based on the total number of hours streamed (or Total Time Spent Listening). Radio Free Virgin held on
to second place in the monthly network ranking by streaming 3,714,258 - 451,047 more hours than it delivered the previous month.
Virgin Radio claimed the top spot in the monthly MeasureCast Top 50T
Internet radio stations ranking for the third straight month. The London-based webcaster streamed 1,589,396 hours of entertainment - up 320,317 hours from April, and it expanded its audience by 42,382
people. But JazzFM, which placed second based on the total number of hours streamed, continues to enjoy the largest audience of any Webcaster measured by MeasureCast, delivering its entertainment to
229,363 people (up from 224,451 listeners in April).
May's peak listening day was Wednesday, May 29, with 4.5% of all listening taking place on this day. The day of least listening was Saturday,
May 25, with just one percent of the month's listening. Slightly more than nine percent of Internet radio listening took place on weekends (same as in April).