Public Radio Audience Gains Vary By Format, RRC Analysis Finds.

Public radio’s overall audience may be on the upswing, but a closer look at the numbers shows the gains are not being distributed evenly across the various formats embraced by noncommercial stations.

New analysis from the Radio Research Consortium finds a broadly positive picture in PPM markets, as stations are generally performing better than they were before Nielsen introduced its three-minute listening qualifier in January 2025.

News/Talk is performing better among persons 6+, 25-54 and 55+ than it was than it was during 2024. Contemporary Christian shows a similarly positive pattern across all three demos, with the usual month-to-month fluctuations but higher recent audience levels.

Classical is also stronger. RRC says the improvement is apparent among persons 6+ and 25-54, while the 55+ audience has been flat but remains above the earlier baseline.

The AAA (Adult Album Alternative) results are little more nuanced. The overall difference between the earlier and more recent periods is smaller, but 25-54 shows a pronounced increase in AQH — particularly significant for a music format where time spent listening is critical. Among 55+, RRC characterizes the format as relatively stable despite greater month-to-month movement.

Jazz is also holding its ground, although RRC cautions that the smaller number of stations produces greater volatility in the data. Persons 6+ is relatively steady, while the 25-54 numbers show more improvement, particularly in AQH. The 55+ trend is largely flat.

RRC says the broader PPM picture remains positive even after accounting for Nielsen’s change from a five-minute to a three-minute listening qualifier. RRC Dual Client Services Manager Brian Stauffer said on a recent webinar that Nielsen’s analysis suggests the change itself produced about a 14% lift in AQH. When RRC stripped that estimated increase from the data to make a more apples-to-apples comparison, AQH was still higher than during any month in 2024.

“The most recent numbers are still 1% to 2% higher than they were in January 2025,” Stauffer said, adding that other demos and dayparts show a similar pattern.

Music Gains In Diary Markets

The story in Nielsen’s 44 continuous diary measurement markets is somewhat different, where contemporary Christian and AAA are providing some of the strongest growth while news/talk has been flat. “The CDM data is a bit more mixed and a bit flatter,” RRC Client Services Manager David Ginsburg said.

For news/talk, cume and AQH among persons 12+ are essentially the same or slightly lower than they were two years ago. The 25-54 numbers fluctuate more, but RRC sees a positive in the fact that cume has generally held steady in a demographic that public radio needs to replenish as older listeners age out. The 55+ audience has been more consistent.

Contemporary Christian is the clearest growth story in the diary data according to RRC.

“It’s quite evident both in cume and AQH that the listening audience is there and spending more time with contemporary Christian,” Ginsburg said. The format is also expanding its footprint as the number of contemporary Christian stations has increased with operators adding signals in markets across the country.

The growth is particularly visible among 25-54s. Ginsburg said he has heard the audience described as “moms and minivans,” particularly in middays and afternoons, although he thinks the format has broader appeal. In some markets, he said, contemporary Christian is competing with traditional AC stations for audience. The 55+ audience has grown as well.

AAA offers another bright spot for public radio, with both cume and AQH moving higher among persons 12+. RRC sees several possible explanations. Ginsburg suggested commercial radio may have ceded some of the position AAA occupies, particularly around new music and variety. The format is also gaining traction among older listeners, potentially benefiting from listeners looking for an alternative to news/talk.

Classical is less consistent nationally but has produced some notable individual-market success. Among 25-54s, classical has generally held up following a dip in fall 2024. RRC raises several possible factors, including listeners seeking an escape from the news cycle and increased workplace listening as more workers return to offices. The 55+ audience has been more uneven, with cume falling before beginning to climb back.

Jazz remains the smallest format in the analysis. Little more than a dozen primarily jazz stations remain, making the aggregate numbers more susceptible to swings. Overall cume has been fairly steady despite some weakening since September 2025. Among 55+, traditionally jazz’s core audience, cume has slipped somewhat while AQH is higher than it was three years ago.