Mediapulse: Radio reaches three quarters of the population every day

The new figures on radio usage in Switzerland are in. Up to the first semester of 2022, a joint semester publication was published for the radio and TV data. From the second semester of 2022, the semester figures will now be published separately for each medium. These will be staggered, starting with the radio medium, followed by TV and online.

The figures show: In the second half of 2022, linear radio reached 75 percent of the population aged 15 and over on an average day, according to usage data for the second half of 2022 collected on behalf of the Mediapulse Foundation. This means that the radio genre reaches three out of four adults in Switzerland every day. In a comparison of the language regions, this relative size of the daily radio audience varies between 81 percent in Svizzera italiana, 76 percent in German-speaking Switzerland and 71 percent in Suisse romande.

109 minutes of radio per day

People who use linear radio do so for an average of 109 minutes per day. Listeners in German-speaking Switzerland show the greatest endurance with a daily listening time of 114 minutes, while this figure is only 92 minutes in French-speaking Switzerland. Compared to the previous year, the proportion of radio listeners in the total population fell from 77 to 75 percent. The listening time per listener remains unchanged compared to the 2nd half of 2021. The country regions show different trends compared to the previous year. In German-speaking Switzerland, reach falls by one percentage point to 76 percent, and listening time also decreases slightly to 114 minutes. In Suisse romande, both reach (from 74 to 71 percent) and listening time (from 93 to 92 minutes) declined. In Svizzera italiana, reach remains stable at 81 percent, while listening time increases from 107 to 111 minutes.

The measurement of radio usage takes place within a panel and is based on the principle of audio matching. A wristwatch serves as the measuring device for the panelists. The linear use of radio programs across all analog and digital distribution vectors is recorded. For reasons of research and research economics, however, linear radio use via headphones is not included. On the other hand, time-delayed or on-demand use of radio services is not included. On the other hand, the use of live streaming is included, provided it is not via headphones.

As an independent industry organization, Mediapulse is responsible for collecting data on the use of radio and TV programs and online offerings in Switzerland. The data is regarded as official currency and is used by broadcasters and program makers, the advertising industry, as well as authorities and research.