Airwaves to algorithms: How commercial radio found its second wind

New research shows how audio amplifies search and social performance, driving stronger results without increasing campaign budgets. Radiocentre has revealed new research demonstrating that brands could increase campaign profi

Twenty years ago, commercial broadcasters were advised to take a hard look at their business models. They did, and it’s now paying off, WPP Media’s analytics manager writes.

Latest study finds 88% of podcast fans consume both audio and video, and reveals context - not format - now dictates how brands win audience attention. 

The trend has been grinding along for 11 years, and in 2026 mobile devices have overtaken built-in AM/FM radio as the primary device  choice for in-car listening ... for a certain segment of the U.S. population. Continue Reading →

NEW YORK — Gen Z may have grown up with smartphones, streaming services, social media feeds and algorithms that know what they want before they’ve finished wanting it. Apparently…

As programmatic buying becomes more common in audio, marketers and platforms fight the temptation to cram in as many placements as possible.

The new In-Car module in Radioplayer Insight gives broadcasters the industry’s only real-time view of car radio listening across DAB, FM and streaming.

It’s an advertising basic, but one that’s in danger of being forgotten in the digital age: using ads to make products or services known before they’re needed. AM/FM radio has proven to be highly effective in getting that job done.

Multi platform radio and audio company Audacy has released a study which canvassed podcast listeners about how they listen, and how they value host endorsements. “Intentional listening” is a key part of this examination, and it leads to dollars spent in three ways. Continue Reading →

Is the screw finally beginning to turn in the radio broadcast industry in the US? Two successful and highly established radio entities—one commercial, the other public—announced seismic changes last week that may usher in the beginning of much-needed change on both radio's content and monetization fronts. Are you aware of them, are you following them, and how might they apply to your strategy and game plan?

The combined commercial audio market is forecast to deliver significant audience growth over the next decade, according to new analysis revealed by Radiocentre today.

Global is launching its own pay-to-remove-ads service via Global Player, charging listeners to hear almost any of their stations without commercials. The new Radio Plus subscription retains presenters, news, travel, competitions, listener calls and interviews while removing advertising from...

Radio continues to reach a large majority of Americans despite the growth of streaming and smartphones, and its role in emergency communications and local communities remains a key part of the medium’s value, according to a Wall Street Journal opinion piece.Megan Pidcock, social-media editor for the Journal’s Free Expression section, argues that radio’s reach and community role challenge perceptions that the medium is in decline. She cites Nielsen data showing radio reaches more than 90% of U.S.

Ofcom: Podcast listening more than doubled since 2019 October 1, 2026 Ofcom research highlights how popular podcasts have become, as well as giving an insight into how people in the UK use them, and the types of content they prefer.

The MD of Bauer Media Advertising sets out his three-point manifesto.

75% of listeners rate podcast hosts as the most authentic. Among social media influencers, that figure drops to 54%. That's not a small gap.

Is it possible to measure the foot traffic impact of an AM/FM radio advertising campaign on a major retailer’s holiday promotion? If you are location analytics firm Placer.ai, the answer is yes!

IAB's new guide, Podcasts Continue to Evolve: When Listeners Become Viewers, shows how video is fragmenting podcast measurement across audio, streaming, social and CTV. It applies two existing IAB standards to different delivery environments and sets out disclosure principles for buyers and sellers.

Audacy's 2026 Connected Car study shows that as the technology evolves, audio’s role in the car is growing right along with it.

IPVanish, a premium virtual private network (VPN) provider owned by Ziff Davis, and Blue Wire, a network of more than 250 independent sports podcasts, announced today results from a podcast advertising campaign finding that ads generated by AI replicas of podcast hosts’ voices outperformed human announcer read-ads by 26%.

Little Black Book, Global’s new self-service ad platform, AdPower, partners with next generation businesses across the UK, including self-care brand Grace & Stella, bakery Bread Ahead, women’s health start-up Daye, natural deodorant company AKT & reusable bottle brand Ocean Bottle

Edison Research’s latest Insights report finds that AM/FM radio remains the dominant ad-supported audio platform among Americans ages 13 to 34 when they are listening in the car.

07 September 2026 - Thierry Mars - Director Radio, egta How radio businesses can shape the future of in-car audio, and unlock new value for advertisers For more than a century, the car has been one of radio's most powerful environments. It is where millions of people start and end their day, where t

The report also provides compelling evidence of audio's ability to add incremental reach to broader media plans. In one US omnichannel campaign, audio delivered 25% incremental reach beyond audiences already exposed to connected TV and out-of-home.

In this commentary, Wouter Quartier, head of radio at the European Broadcasting Union, says that radio offers something human: trust and companionship.