• by April 24, 2001

MeasureCast, Inc., today released its Internet radio report for the week of April 16-22, which shows that despite several roadblocks for online broadcasters, many stations still streaming their programs continue to experience dramatic audience growth.

Among the 24 comparable stations from the previous week's MeasureCast Weekly Top 25T list, 22 stations experienced an increase in the total number of hours streamed. Fourteen stations showed an increase in Cume (estimated audience size). Significant increases in total time spent listening (TTSL) were logged by ESPNRadio.com, which saw a 43% increase in TTSL, perhaps due in part to the NFL draft held over the weekend. KLTY-FM/94.9, a Dallas/Ft. Worth station streaming through Oneplace.com, enjoyed a 36% increase in TTSL, while Virgin Radio streamed 35% more hours over the previous week. Internet-only broadcaster MEDIAmazing.com, the number one music station in the MeasureCast Top 25, turned in a 17% increase in TTSL over the week of April 9-15.

Nevertheless, the weekly MeasureCast Internet Radio IndexT, which tracks the total number of hours streamed by on-line broadcasters measured by MeasureCast, dropped six percent -- from 141 to 132 -- due largely to stations temporarily pulling their broadcasts off the Internet as a result of the AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) Recorded Commercials Contract, which requires advertisers to pay a higher fee if ads originally recorded for radio are played over the Internet. Updated weekly, the Index is a representation of the trend in Total Time Spent Listening across a spectrum of stations measured by MeasureCast.

Newcomers to this week's MeasureCast rankings include: KCRW-FM/89.9, the Santa Monica College station; and several stations streamed by WarpRadio: WFXZ-FM/93.7, a classic rock station in Wilmington, North Carolina; KKNG-FM/93.3, a country station in Oklahoma City; WKXB-FM/99.9, a Top 40 station in Burgaw, N.C.; and KNIK-FM/105.3, a jazz station in Anchorage, Alaska.

Other facts from this week's report:

- 83 % of all listening occurred between 5 a.m. PDT and 5 p.m. PDT.

- The peak listening hour was at 10 a.m. PDT.

- The peak listening day was Friday, April 20, with 20 % of all TTSL occurring.

- Listening on Saturday and Sunday accounted for 11 % of all TTSL.

- 71 % of Internet radio listeners are men; 229 % are women.

- 56 % of listeners are under 35 years old; 26 % are younger than 25; and 7 % are over the age of 55.

- The largest single age group is comprised of people 25-34. They represent 29 % of on-line listeners.

- Top international streaming countries include the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, and Mexico.