MediaBuyerPlanner: Arbitron’s first survey for satellite radio shows that satellite subscribers spend more time listening to the radio than non-satellite subscribers. Interestingly, however, they seem to spend more time listening to terrestrial radio than to their paid satellite services.
In its fall survey, Arbitron reported that about 3.4 percent of radio listening time was spend on the 297 satellite stations that listeners cited, according to the AP.
The average satellite radio station attracted listeners for .009 percent of the 15-minute measuring blocks; that figure is not high enough to make Arbitron’s minimum reporting standards for terrestrial radio, according to the company.
Satellite radio listeners spent an average of 33 hours per week listening to the radio, while non-satellite listeners spent 19 hours per week listening. Of those 33 hours, subscribers listened to terrestrial radio for 14 hours per week, 11 hours for satellite and a little more than 8 on the internet.
A spokesman for XM pointed out that, while satellite radio is growing, it still represents just a small portion of the overall radio and audio entertainment marketplace. About 5.6 percent of the participants in Arbitron’s fall survey listed a satellite radio channel in their listening diaries.
Arbitron is still unable to measure listenership to different stations, meaning that there are no ratings available for such stars as Howard Stern or Opie and Anthony.
Related stories:
- Arbitron Previews Mobile Version of Electronic Diary
- Arbitron Adds Four New Markets for Spring Survey
- Satellite and Internet Radio Invited to Upfront Party
- Arbitron Tweaks Survey Instructions to Better Track Satellite Use
- Arbitron to Include Satellite Ratings in Reports
- Arbitron Changes Schedule for Winter and Spring 2007 Surveys
- Satellite Radio, Growing Slowly, Confuses Consumers
- Arbitron Delays Satellite, Internet Reporting
- Arbitron to report on Satellite & Internet Radio Listening
