Commercial Radio Cements Its Audience Reach Leadership Position - Total NZ Survey 1 2024

23 May 2024

Today’s release of NZ Commercial Radio listening data once again shows the incredible stability of NZ Commercial radio audiences with 3.4 million New Zealanders listening on a weekly basis.

Alistair Jamison RBA CEO says: “While we see some well documented challenges across the New Zealand media landscape, commercial radio holds firm. The last four surveys have shown weekly listening of around 3.4 million. At a time where I know that advertisers are ‘searching’ for answers to declining TV audiences, the answer is in audio.”

Jamison adds: “Where I think our reach advantage gets incredibly compelling is when you drill into specific target audiences as opposed to the broad brush of All People 10+. If you look at the popular All People 25-54 demographic, radio delivers weekly reach 32 percent higher than TV and daily reach 51 percent higher. Against All People 18-39 those numbers are an incredible 71 percent weekly and 130 percent daily.”^

MediaWorks CEO Wendy Palmer says “Today’s results show radio is firmly part of Kiwis’ daily lives. No other channel is reaching mass audiences as quickly and cost effectively as we consistently do with audio. It’s great news for today’s budget conscious marketers who can invest with confidence, knowing their message will reach the right people.”

Michael Boggs, CEO of NZME says: “Our audience numbers show that we continue to connect with listeners across the commercial audio landscape. As an industry we’ve diversified our content offering across radio brands, invested in excellent on-air talent, and we continue to grow our digital audio and podcast offering to ensure there’s something for everyone. Clearly what we’re offering continues to resonate with Kiwis nationwide and we’ll be guided by them, remaining flexible in delivering the music, news, entertainment and content they want on the platforms they’re using.”

Jamison concludes: “As well as reaching key audiences we also know that audio works for advertisers. A recent study by well-known marketing professor Mark Ritson found that radio helped drive significant and positive business impacts across brand awareness, mental availability, acquisition and retention. Audio offers advertisers the triple play, audience reach, cost effectiveness and proven business outcomes.”

The full Commercial Total New Zealand and market by market data reports including demographic and daypart information can be found by clicking here.

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