In-Car Cell Phone Use Impacting Radio Listening
Bridge Ratings says that it recently completed its first six month analysis of in-car cell phone use and its potential impact on other in-car listening including that of radio. The study was commissioned by a wireless company in 2005 as part of a multi-year consumer study. Topline findings of their study conducted between July 2005 and January 2006 estimates that in the United States, 70.3% of the population owned a cell phone in 2005. At the time of the study, U.S. population was estimated at at 297 million, with 209 million cell phone users.
In fact, today cell phone technology is the only audio technology that could approach traditional radio's market penetration (currently at 93% or 276 million Americans who listen to terrestrial radio at least once a week).
From their analysis, it was clear that in vehicles in which the radio was being listened to, when cell phones were in use, radio behavior was affected:
- Radio Volume Unchanged - 2%
- Radio Volume Turned Down - 79%
- Radio Turned Off - 19%
When asked "If the following audio options were available on your cellular telephone for a reasonable fee of $8.95 per month, how likely would you be to subscribe?"
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This data represents a surprising confirmation by this sample that traditional media continues to be an entertainment source despite the new media options available. Among the entire study sample, terrestrial radio fared far better than previously thought with a virtual tie in "very likely" responses with Internet radio.
However, when one looks at the age breakdowns, it is apparent that 12-34 year olds are more likely pay a "reasonable" fee to subscribe to Internet radio on cell phones than their 25-54 year old counterparts.
Satellite radio still lags in this comparison even when compared to Podcast radio."
Posted to the site on 27th February 2006
