A new blog post from Cumulus Media | Westwood One’s Audio Active Group highlights how long-term AM/FM radio advertising helped a local Missouri business significantly boost brand awareness and growth. The post centers on Bug-A-Way Pest Control in Joplin, MO, a company that had operated for more than two decades but struggled with name recognition.

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Podcasts have edged past AM/FM radio as the leading platform for spoken-word audio listening time among Americans, according to new analysis of Share of Ear data, with generational differences driving much of the shift. Among persons 13+, podcasts account for 40% of daily spoken-word audio listening time, narrowly surpassing AM/FM radio at 39%. The milestone

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Dave Van Dyke, BridgeRatings After this week’s discussion about radio’s future—especially its powerful position in the car—it’s clear the industry isn’t disappearing. It’s evolving. Radio’s future will belong to stations that combine what they’ve always done well—local connection, trusted personalities, and immediacy—with the digital tools audiences now expect. This bears repeating. Here’s a practical 7-point plan

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Radio continues to maintain a dominant and stable position in the audio landscape, according to new findings from the 2026 FMR/Eastlan Ratings National Radio Listening Survey. The study shows that 84% of adults ages 25-64 listen to AM/FM radio each week, a level that has remained remarkably consistent over the past five years. The report

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Edison Research’s quarterly “Share of Ear” study is the authoritative examination of time spent with audio in America. The study, in its eleventh year, surveys 4,000 Americans annually to measure daily reach and time spent for all forms of audio. Currently, nearly 1,700 AM/FM radio salespeople, programmers, and managers are active users of Xperi’s DTS

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Dave Van Dyke: Bridge Ratings There’s an assumption floating around the audio industry that today’s listener is deeply engaged — constantly searching, discovering, and actively choosing music. But research tells a very different story. Most people aren’t leaning into music. They’re leaning back. Music listening generally falls into two behavioral categories. Lean-forward listening happens when someone actively searches

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BridgeRatings: Dave Van Dyke Radio has never had more data. We track minute-by-minute behavior. We analyze PPM curves. We run auditorium tests. We crowdsource opinions. We A/B digital copy. We obsess over what causes tune-out. And yet…What if the real problem isn’t the answers we’re getting — but the questions we’re asking? Most of our

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Dave Van Dyke, Bridge Ratings For decades, media strategy revolved around one organizing principle: age. 18–34. 25–54. 35–64. Programming, advertising, and talent decisions were built around birthdays — as if human behavior changes neatly with them. But the world is shifting, and radio may be uniquely positioned to benefit if it recognizes what’s happening. The

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New research from the Audacy Insights Team finds that today’s most avid sports fans are younger, more diverse and more likely to be reached through sports audio platforms than traditional media alone. The first half of 2026 is set to deliver a packed sports calendar, from global events such as the Winter Olympics and the

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Insite From: Dave Van Dyke. dvd@bridgeratings.com For decades, radio has operated on a deeply held belief: -If we repeat it enough, it becomes familiar. -If it becomes familiar, it becomes liked. -If it’s liked, ratings grow. It sounds logical. It even sounds scientific. It’s also dangerously incomplete. The industry’s interpretation of “familiarity” has long been

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