KUALA LUMPUR – November 11, 2013 – Research survey statistics released by Nielsen revealed that the overall audience for radio rose to 17.1 million, reaching 93.1 percent of people aged 10 and above tuning in every week, compared to 92 percent for the same period last year.
The results also showed that more than half of the radio audience remained loyal to a single station instead of switching stations randomly.
However, the results revealed that people spent less time listening to radio, especially among the Malays and Indians, despite the upturn in the number of listeners, Commercial Radio Malaysia (CRM) said in a press release. Listenership for the English stations also declined, particularly among the Chinese.
“The numbers may be misleading as digital consumption of radio is not researched by Nielsen,” noteD Kudsia Kahar, President of CRM, the association representing 19 commercial radio stations in Malaysia.
“More people listen to radio on various digital platforms – and this not accounted for in the research for participating stations. Each station will have to get a reading of their own digital audience numbers, currently available only via our streaming service providers, to determine a more realistic figure tuning in to their stations across all platforms.”
Radio’s relevance, added Kudsia, continues to prove itself as a complementary medium well-matched to the digital era and multi-tasking. Radio, continuously mobile thanks to smartphones and devices, is also still being consumed via MP3 players, car radios, and increasingly online.
“CRM is proud that radio continues to be a vital part of the daily lives of Malaysians, as attested by the percentage of the country’s total population tuning in to radio every week,” said Kudsia.
She believes that radio, though no longer the top choice for new music discovery among the younger demographic, still has the ability to connect with audiences the lively chatter and interactivity between the presenter and listeners.
“Good talent provides the vital link beyond the playlist. Radio personalities with the ability to build a relationship with the audience, or provide context, and emotionally connect, are key to fashioning radio into medium that entertains, informs, and engages them,” said Kudsia.
Among the Bahasa Malaysia stations, Astro Radio’s ERA retains the top spot with 4.66 million weekly audience) followed by SINAR (3.5 million), Star Radio Group’s SURIA (2.23 million), and IKIM (705,000). IKIM’s growth this year also reflects the interest in religious content for the Malay audiences.
On the Chinese front, Astro Radio’s MY FM continues to maintain the lead with 2.05 million weekly audience followed by Star Radio Group’s 988 (1.64 million), and Media Prima’s One FM (918,000).
For the English stations, Astro Radio’s hitz.fm leads with a weekly audience of 1.09 million followed by Media Prima’s FLY FM (375,000).
“Going digital is the only way forward for radio, without ignoring more traditional forms of broadcast. In increasing our audience via digital platforms, likewise they need to be tracked too, which CRM is avidly pursuing,” said Kudsia.
In terms of content innovation, radio is also starting to increasingly cover the big stories and providing a depth of information – and getting the audience to respond interactively.
