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AM Listening by Market: A ranker

DavidEduardo

DavidEduardo

Moderator/Administrator
Staff member
Cumulus' Pierre Bouvard has compiled a listing of the markets with the greatest number of people listening to AM radio stations.

www.westwoodone.com

New Nielsen Study: 141 Local Markets Where AM Radio Is Listened To By At Least 20% Of The Radio Audience | Westwood One

Recently, Ford made a fast decision to recommit to AM radio in its vehicles. Now attention turns to other automakers who need to follow Ford’s lead on ensuring AM radio’s role in the car dashboard. Now, Nielsen is releasing a deeper dive on the vitality of AM radio in local metro markets.
www.westwoodone.com www.westwoodone.com

Here is a summary:
  • 82,346,800 Americans listen to AM radio monthly
  • One out of three American AM/FM radio listeners are reached monthly by AM radio
  • 57% of the AM radio audience listens to News/Talk stations, the very outlets that Americans turn to in times of crisis and breaking local news
And this is the listing of the top AM markets...

1685708489100.png

This listing differs from what is often seen, which is the total share of listening to AM stations. This is a cume based analysis, which means that during a month, a rather large percentage of people listen for "a moment" to an AM station. The share-based data we normally see is based on "how much of the total actual listening during a time period goes to AM stations.

So, it seems that a lot of very random and occasional listening goes to AM, but on a day-in, day-out basis, not much total time is given to AM stations.

This
 
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Interesting data David. Thanks for posting!
A quick dive into the percentage chart seems to make sense, as it also correlates with the current political climate. For the past three or so years, it's been established that roughly 30% of the political base continue to follow the former president and the overall 'Neo-conservative' line served by right-wing talk radio. It's no coincidence that the average listening percentage in many of those conservative markets listed also rounds-out to 30%.
What I find interesting that was left out in the data; was the average demographic around that 30%. For the same reason some on this forum get upset when pointing it out, I think it's safe to assume that within the 30% listening to AM, the vast majority are white males 65+ was left out of the results.
 
Does it count if I listen for 5 minutes to an AM station that actually plays an oldies song I like or I listen to some brief news or sports report and then switch back to FM or MP3s?
 
anotherguyTN said:
Does it count if I listen for 5 minutes to an AM station that actually plays an oldies song I like or I listen to some brief news or sports report and then switch back to FM or MP3s?
Click to expand...
In PPM markets, listening detected in 5 discreet minutes in any single quarter hour makes you count for cuming the station. In the diary, it is 5 consecutive minutes. Content is not registered in either Nielsen system.
 
Kelly A said:
For the same reason some on this forum get upset when pointing it out, I think it's safe to assume that within the 30% listening to AM, the vast majority are white males 65+ was left out of the results.
Click to expand...
Clarification: should be "non-Hispanic white males... again, this is the general confusion that "Hispanic" is not a race and there can be Black Hispanics, White Hispanics, Asian Hispanics and Indigenous (Native American, a misnomer) Hispanics and all manner of combinations.
 
Kelly A said:
Interesting data David. Thanks for posting!
A quick dive into the percentage chart seems to make sense, as it also correlates with the current political climate. For the past three or so years, it's been established that roughly 30% of the political base continue to follow the former president and the overall 'Neo-conservative' line served by right-wing talk radio. It's no coincidence that the average listening percentage in many of those conservative markets listed also rounds-out to 30%.
What I find interesting that was left out in the data; was the average demographic around that 30%. For the same reason some on this forum get upset when pointing it out, I think it's safe to assume that within the 30% listening to AM, the vast majority are white males 65+ was left out of the results.
Click to expand...
There are a lot of markets where the big News-Talk station is on FM. Cincinnati has WLW, which is a powerhouse in the ratings, as well as conservative talk WKRC, and sports-talk WCKY and WSAI, so all the "AM" formats are on AM and except for a downtown WLW translator, aren't on FM.

Otherwise, demographics I'm sure are older.
 
lanceventa said:
Keep in mind this data does not break out those listening on FM translators at all and there is no mention of how it separates full-power AM/FM simulcasts in particular diary markets.
Click to expand...
Obviously, Pierre is trying to make a case for keeping AM in car radios. That's why I pointed out that using cume figures... and monthly cume figures... looks a lot more impressive than AQH share data, where AM is below 10% in nearly every market and around 5% in most.
 
lanceventa said:
Keep in mind this data does not break out those listening on FM translators at all and there is no mention of how it separates full-power AM/FM simulcasts in particular diary markets.
Click to expand...
But in this case, considering a listener would be listening to the programming originating from an AM, would the band listened-to matter? In the case of PPM; assuming the AM station would be encoding, what difference would it make if the audio was heard via an FM translator? In the case of diary responses, the listener would just recall listening to 'The Dimm Witt Show on WXYZ', not whether its a translator.
 
I'm surprised that Jackson, TN is in this list at 33% because all the AM stations there have FM translators, and the overkill of news/talk stations or translators on FM there. Do other area stations count as well? Even if it did there's nothing major on AM outside of Memphis.
 
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anotherguyTN said:
I'm surprised that Jackson, TN is in this list at 33% because all the AM stations there have FM translators, and the overkill of news/talk stations or translators on FM there. Do other area stations count as well? Even if it did there's nothing major on AM outside of Memphis.
Click to expand...
It would be interesting to understand what the impact of FM translators on AM have had. As I mentioned prior; in PPM markets, as long as the AM station encoded their audio, there would be no way of knowing whether someone was listening to their FM translator, or directly from AM.
Totally anecdotal without research data to back up my opinion: But I'd be willing to bet that translators have had a minimal positive affect to AM stations with FM translators. Older demo's having grown up with AM, and those who listen to talk or news on radio, still gravitate to AM. They're the ones left listening to N/T programming anyway.
 
DavidEduardo said:
Obviously, Pierre is trying to make a case for keeping AM in car radios. That's why I pointed out that using cume figures... and monthly cume figures... looks a lot more impressive than AQH share data, where AM is below 10% in nearly every market and around 5% in most.
Click to expand...

Without a doubt. I did ask Pierre how simulcasts were taken into account, but no response yet.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1664654205984952324

Kelly A said:
But in this case, considering a listener would be listening to the programming originating from an AM, would the band listened-to matter? In the case of PPM; assuming the AM station would be encoding, what difference would it make if the audio was heard via an FM translator? In the case of diary responses, the listener would just recall listening to 'The Dimm Witt Show on WXYZ', not whether its a translator.
Click to expand...
When the study is titled "141 Local Markets Where AM Radio Is Listened To By At Least 20% Of The Radio Audience", and the purpose is to prove AM has value then absolutely where they are listening matters.
 
Kelly A said:
It would be interesting to understand what the impact of FM translators on AM have had. As I mentioned prior; in PPM markets, as long as the AM station encoded their audio, there would be no way of knowing whether someone was listening to their FM translator, or directly from AM.
Totally anecdotal without research data to back up my opinion: But I'd be willing to bet that translators have had a minimal positive affect to AM stations with FM translators. Older demo's having grown up with AM, and those who listen to talk or news on radio, still gravitate to AM. They're the ones left listening to N/T programming anyway.
Click to expand...
I'll bet if you ask the licensees of AMs with translators whether they would turn off the AM if allowed to keep the translator, tey would almost totally answer, "yes". Many AMs with translators have reduced the power on the AM, eliminated directional night operation and reduced the land needed for the AM site.

But, mostly, those AMs that got translators have moved to 25-54 targeted formats, abandoning ones like "oldies" and the like that they can't easily sell.

The only reason about 80% or more of AMs with translators keep the AM is to satisfy the FCC.
 
This data makes sense. AM radio listening is greatest in large markets where there are Class A facilities, and also in tiny markets where a Class B/C/D AM with translator can be competitive.

I think we can infer strongly that the listing includes AM/FM simulcasts as "AM listening." Atlanta shows almost 40% of people listen to AM, but 96% of the "Average Weekly AM Cume" in the April 2023 monthly PPM belongs to a station with some kind of FM presence: And I'm willing to bet no one listened to "94.5 Streetz" or "Smooth Jazz 101.1" on their suburban class D AM originating stations.
 
Buffalo is interesting at the top.

10 AM listed in Nielsen Ratings

Of those

2 AM Stations with no FM Translators Getting 5.0+ Shares

5 AM Stations that are music and have FM Translators.
 
DavidEduardo said:
I'll bet if you ask the licensees of AMs with translators whether they would turn off the AM if allowed to keep the translator, tey would almost totally answer, "yes".
Click to expand...
A small-town AM station that I've been in contact with over the years told me a few years ago that, if their transmitter fails, they're going to turn in the license immediately afterwards. Fortunately they have two FMs and have put up a translator for the AM as well. But, for them, FM is the clear priority.
 
Kelly A said:
Interesting data David. Thanks for posting!
A quick dive into the percentage chart seems to make sense, as it also correlates with the current political climate. For the past three or so years, it's been established that roughly 30% of the political base continue to follow the former president and the overall 'Neo-conservative' line served by right-wing talk radio. It's no coincidence that the average listening percentage in many of those conservative markets listed also rounds-out to 30%.
What I find interesting that was left out in the data; was the average demographic around that 30%. For the same reason some on this forum get upset when pointing it out, I think it's safe to assume that within the 30% listening to AM, the vast majority are white males 65+ was left out of the results.
Click to expand...
OK, now try to figure Seattle-Tacoma into what you just said. 76% Democrat (higher in Seattle proper), both in the City and in King County, with Snohomish and Pierce almost as Democrat leaning, and the metro being around 20% 60+, and 80% under 60 (according to Census data from 2018-2019). Seattle itself is 19% 60+, and 81% under age 60.

Yet 42% of market listeners listen to AM radio, at least some of the time, during a month.

You really think it's all that different in other Democrat strongholds like Chicago, Milwaukee, San Jose, and Buffalo (where over 70% of the voters went for Biden)?
 
DavidEduardo said:
This listing differs from what is often seen, which is the total share of listening to AM stations. This is a cume based analysis, which means that during a month, a rather large percentage of people listen for "a moment" to an AM station. The share-based data we normally see is based on "how much of the total actual listening during a time period goes to AM stations.
Click to expand...
I quickly glanced at the article in the OP. Curious. do we know how they arrived at these numbers or specifically what questions were asked? I'm asking because yes, I listen for "a moment" here and there every several days to AM. Usually it's when the FM music stations and maybe NPR have nothing that interests me, so I jump over to the AM band to see if there are any news items or banter there I might listen to. I'm by no means a regular AM listener, I might stay there for a few minutes until the segment I'm interested is over, and then I jump back over to one of my normal FM stations. If the AM band went away, I wouldn't miss it....But I guess I'd count in this percentage.
 
Mikey Radio said:
I quickly glanced at the article in the OP. Curious. do we know how they arrived at these numbers or specifically what questions were asked?
Click to expand...
It's just a data run on existing diary and PPM ratings data. It is "how many people registered a quarter hour of listening credit to an AM station during a 4-week survey period?"
Mikey Radio said:
I'm asking because yes, I listen for "a moment" here and there every several days to AM. Usually it's when the FM music stations and maybe NPR have nothing that interests me, so I jump over to the AM band to see if there are any news items or banter there I might listen to. I'm by no means a regular AM listener, I might stay there for a few minutes until the segment I'm interested is over, and then I jump back over to one of my normal FM stations. If the AM band went away, I wouldn't miss it....But I guess I'd count in this percentage.
Click to expand...
Yes, and your analysis is correct. It means that this particular percentage of persons at some moment during a month hear an AM station for at least 5 minutes.
 
Mikey Radio said:
I quickly glanced at the article in the OP. Curious. do we know how they arrived at these numbers or specifically what questions were asked?
Click to expand...
The data is based on an analysis of the data Nielsen Audio already collects for ratings. Nielsen already publishes "average weekly cume persons" for each radio station in their book. This is the same sort of data, but amalgamating all AM stations in a market, and over the course of a month instead of a week.

I suspect you aren't alone in using AM listen only occasionally.
 
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