Bridge Ratings: Dave Van Dyke
For decades, radio’s “prime time” was predictable: morning drive and afternoon commute. The routines of work and school dictated when listeners tuned in. But the rise of smart speakers — Alexa, Google Home, Siri — has disrupted this rhythm, opening up entirely new listening windows that traditional radio must recognize and capitalize on.
Smart speakers are now present in over 40% of U.S. households, and their usage patterns are quite different from the car-based radio habits of the past. Morning drive isn’t going away, but now “prime time” often begins the moment someone says, “Alexa, play my favorite station” while making coffee or getting ready for the day. These voice-activated devices have brought radio back into the kitchen, the bedroom, and the living room — locations that, for years, had been ceded to TV, streaming, and silence.
But this isn’t just about mornings. Smart speakers have extended listening into new dayparts:
Midday Work-From-Home Blocks: As more people work remotely, many ask their smart speakers to provide background music, news updates, or talk radio while they work.
Evening Relaxation: Instead of flipping on Netflix, some listeners use smart speakers for ambient music, podcasts, or even late-night talk.
Flash Briefings & Voice Commands: Quick news updates or weather forecasts via voice commands allow stations to reach audiences in bite-sized segments.
For radio managers and program directors, this shift requires rethinking both scheduling and promotion. Consider creating modular content — short news updates, weather hits, or specialized music blocks — designed for smart speaker consumption. Develop station-specific “skills” or integrations that make it easy for listeners to find your content with simple voice commands. “Alexa, play the 5-minute morning news update from WXYZ” becomes a powerful entry point.
Increasing exposure to your radio station on multiple platforms effectively increases tune-in to take advantage of Nielsen’s new quarter hour credit adjustment.
Promotion must also evolve. On-air talent should regularly remind audiences how easy it is to access the station via smart speakers. Online and social media channels should offer simple how-to guides for enabling smart speaker access.
The new golden hour isn’t confined to a car dashboard. It’s scattered across the day, governed by voice commands and listener convenience. Stations that adapt to these changing habits will not only maintain relevance but can expand their reach far beyond traditional time slots. The smart speaker revolution isn’t a threat—it’s an invitation to be present whenever your audience asks for you.
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