Network Radio: What You Need To Know

You’ll occasionally hear people talk about how radio is dead, no one listens anymore, or that radio ads aren’t targeted enough.

Despite all that, radio continues to be the form of media with the most reach. It also delivers an unmatched level of intimacy with its listeners.

What is network radio?

Did you know there are over 15,000 radio stations across the United States?

Many of those radio stations belong to radio networks.

A radio network is a group of affiliate radio stations that all are provided programming, production, sports, and news services by the network.

The type of content and services provided by the network would not otherwise be available to each radio station if they were just single, local radio stations.

By distributing content and services across many stations it becomes more cost effective for the network.

Radio networks are typically built to deliver to specific demographics, like Men ages 25 to 54, or Women ages to 49.

What are some radio networks?

iHeart Media, Cumulus Media, Townsquare Media, Entercom, Saga Communications, Salem Media Group, Forever Media, Midwest Communications, Beasley Media Group, Bell Media Radio, Univision, Cox Media Group, and Hubbard Broadcasting are all some large national radio networks.

What makes radio networks different?

Instead of having just one radio station per market, which then would have shows targeting various demographics, radio networks typically have multiple stations per market, with each station targeting its own demographic.

This makes these stations a great advertising opportunity for media buyers, as their ads can reach a specific demographic. While these ads may not be as targeted as online ads, they are more targeted than television ads, which go to a wider audience.

Why advertise on network radio?

According to 2020 data from Nielsen, 229 million Americans are reached by radio every single week. That makes it the United State’s #1 reach medium. 90% of consumers ages 18 to 49 are reached every week.

Nielsen also found that radio gives an ROI of 10:1, so $1 of ad spend on radio returns $10.

We also know that radio listeners are typically loyal, with the average listener tuning in for 1 hour and 39 minutes everyday, and 77% of listeners trust information from their favorite on-air host.

Work With Hybrid Media

Now that you’ve learned more about network radio, you may be ready to launch your own national radio advertising campaign.

For professional help getting your radio advertisement heard by your target audience, work with the team at Hybrid Media.

We help our clients place their radio ads so that they reach their audience and get the best ROI. Contact us for a free consultation today!