News story about newly published market research that demonstrates 1 in 5 adults in the UK listen to radio whilst surfing the internet, written by Grant Goddard in July 2005 for The Radio Magazine.

1. NEWS: 1 IN 5 BRITONS LISTEN
TO RADIO WHILE SURFING THE
INTERNET
by
GRANT GODDARD
www.grantgoddard.co.uk
July 2005

2. News: 1 In 5 Britons Listen To Radio While Surfing The Internet Page 2
©2005 Grant Goddard
One in five people who are surfing the internet are listening to radio at the
same time, according to newly published joint research by the Radio
Advertising Bureau [RAB] and the Internet Advertising Bureau. The survey
also found that radio was the only traditional medium that people predict they
will spend more time with in the near future.
The link between the internet and radio was demonstrated by the 57% of the
people sampled who said they had used the internet to find out more about
things they had heard on the radio, including advertising spots. 27 million
people currently have access to the internet in the UK, half of which use
broadband. Exactly a quarter of the sample said they regularly used the
internet to listen to radio stations. Broadband users said they spent 26% of
their media time with radio, compared to 24% with the internet and 36% with
television. 67% of the sample (75% of broadband users) said they had ever
surfed the internet and listened to radio at the same time, and 48% (53% of
broadband users) said they had done this during the last seven days. This
simultaneous usage was found to be more pronounced in young males.
80% of those who listened to the radio when online agreed with two
statements: “The radio doesn’t distract me from reading or watching web
pages” and “I like listening to something in the background whilst looking at
web pages”. Of the total 523 people polled in the survey, 90% said they
listened to the radio to be informed, 74% said they listen to catch up with the
latest news or traffic or weather information, and 59% listened to “lift my
spirits”. Of those who had used the internet and radio simultaneously, most
agreed that, while the internet helped them find information, the radio kept
them company. Most combined radio/online usage was reported to take place
between 8pm and midnight, both on weekdays and at the weekend. The
research concluded that online and radio “are the only media predicted to grow
audience in the new media ecology”.
The RAB now wants to launch a trial campaign to measure the effectiveness of
combined internet and radio usage. Mark Barber of the RAB said: "We want to
test these findings out in the real world and find an advertiser who wants to
test the responsiveness of this combination. That would be a collaborative
project." Barber explained that a radio listener could swiftly turn to the internet
for information after hearing a commercial: "You have an immediate closure of
the gap between the communication and the purchase. It is very different from
TV where you will see the commercial in the evening and go to the shops the
following lunchtime."
[First published in 'The Radio Magazine' as 'Radio And Internet Usage Grows', #694, 27 July 2005]
Grant Goddard is a media analyst / radio specialist / radio consultant with thirty years of
experience in the broadcasting industry, having held senior management and consultancy
roles within the commercial media sector in the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. Details at
http://www.grantgoddard.co.uk