Inside Techsurvey 2026: What Radio’s Biggest Fans Are Telling Us.

Jacobs Media President Fred Jacobs presented findings from Techsurvey 2026 during a webinar, breaking down key takeaways from one of radio’s most closely watched annual audience studies.

Launched in the mid-2000s, Techsurvey has spent more than two decades tracking how core radio listeners consume media when they are not listening to radio.

The 2026 edition included nearly 31,000 respondents from 506 participating U.S. radio stations, surveyed between early January and early February. Respondents are drawn from station email databases, meaning the sample represents highly engaged listeners — often referred to as “P1s.”

Aging Audience, Increasing Digital Fluency

One of the most persistent trends in the data is the aging of radio’s core audience. Listeners age 65 and older now account for roughly one-third of respondents, up from about one-quarter just a few years ago. The average respondent age continues to climb, now approaching the upper 50s.

However, Jacobs pushed back on the idea that older listeners are digitally disengaged.

Streaming video, smart TV ownership, smart speakers, and mobile audio consumption all continue to grow among the 55+ demographic. Even AI usage — a relatively new behavior category — has expanded significantly in a short time.

Net Promoter Score Rebounds

The Net Promoter Score (NPS), a key measure of listener advocacy, showed a modest rebound in 2026. The commercial radio average rose to 48%, reversing recent downward pressure.

Jacobs cautioned against overstating the shift but called it a positive sign. “I don’t want to get euphoric over a two-point gain,” he said, “but this is a really good sign that radio has a little bit of momentum among its biggest fans.”

Country, adult contemporary and hot AC formats ranked highest in listener recommendation, while sports and news/talk trailed. Christian music radio and public radio continued to significantly outperform commercial radio on advocacy metrics.

Personality Continues to Outpace Music

One of the most durable long-term findings is the growing importance of personalities relative to music.

Sixty percent of respondents cite radio personalities as a key reason for listening, compared to 53% for music. Jacobs noted that this crossover point occurred in 2019 and has held steady since.

He attributed the shift in part to music commoditization. “When every song is at your fingertips,” he said, “radio is no longer the primary source for music discovery.”

Digital Listening Nearing Parity

Digital audio consumption continues to close in on traditional broadcast listening.

While broadcast still leads overall usage at 54% versus 44% digital, the gap has narrowed significantly over the past decade. Fans are tuning into radio across traditional over-the-air broadcasts with receivers and through streaming devices. In 2013, broadcast accounted for 85% of listening compared to just 14% digital.

Today, streaming via computers, apps, smart speakers and other devices accounts for a rapidly expanding share of radio listening — particularly among younger demographics.

Local Still a Core Strength

Despite digital fragmentation, local content remains a defining advantage for radio.

About 40% of respondents say local information is a primary reason they listen, while more than half strongly agree that radio’s local connection is a key differentiator.

“Younger people definitely root into a community,” Jacobs said, noting that local relevance continues to resonate strongly with women and younger listeners.

However, expectations are rising, with four in 10 respondents saying they want stations to be more visible in their communities.

Video and Visual Media Surge

Short-form video consumption continues to grow, with nearly half of respondents watching short videos daily or multiple times per day.

YouTube remains a dominant platform, used weekly or more by 62% of respondents. Podcast video consumption is also rising steadily, reflecting a broader shift toward visual audio experiences.

Jacobs said the trend is consistent across multiple data sets. “This is definitely a trend,” he said, noting that younger audiences continue to lead adoption while older demos follow.

Infotainment Systems Reshape In-Car Listening

One of the more pressing trends in Techsurvey 2026 centers on the rapid rise of in-car infotainment systems — and their growing impact on radio usage. Ownership has climbed steadily, with about four in 10 respondents now reporting their primary vehicle is equipped with a system such as Apple CarPlay or built-in dashboards. Over the same period, AM/FM’s share of in-car listening has dropped to 50%, down from 62% in 2018. As drivers gain easier access to streaming, podcasts and satellite radio, Jacobs warned the shift is directly affecting radio’s core listening environment. “The more options people have in the car, the more they’re going to use them,” he said, calling the trend a “real concern” as competition intensifies on the dashboard.

‘Guaranteed Human’ And The Messaging Opportunity

The disconnect between AI usage and trust is creating a strategic opening for radio, particularly as it looks to differentiate itself from algorithm-driven platforms.

That opportunity is reflected in new slogan testing included in the survey. Respondents were asked to rate a series of positioning statements designed to counter digital and AI-driven competition — including the “Guaranteed Human” tagline introduced by iHeartMedia.

The phrase performed solidly, with 62% of respondents giving it a top rating on a five-point scale. While not the highest-scoring statement, it placed among the top-tier messages and signals that human-centric positioning resonates with a meaningful portion of the audience.

Leading the list was a more straightforward value proposition: “It’s free — no subscription required,” which drew a 72% top-box score. Close behind was “Our music is curated by people, not bots,” reinforcing the appeal of human involvement in programming decisions.

Final Takeaway: Competition Extends Beyond Radio

Jacobs closed by emphasizing that radio’s competitive environment has fundamentally expanded beyond traditional broadcast rivals.

“The real competition for radio isn’t up or down the FM dial,” he said. “It is all the other competitive threats from digital — podcasts, streaming, satellite radio and everything else.”

Still, he noted that the data shows resilience among core listeners, improving advocacy scores, and continued strength in local connection — even as the industry adapts to a rapidly shifting media ecosystem.

Techsurvey 2026 is presented in partnership with Inside Radio and sponsored by Quu.