The Love / Hate Affair Between Podcasts And Radio

 Remember a time when radio shows posted their shows as podcasts, sometimes without even changing the format. It was as if the podcast version was an afterthought. A brand extension, with the radio program being the mother ship.

Oh, how the worm has turned. Podcasting is ascendant, and terrestrial AM/FM radio fights off competition from podcasters and its evil twin sister, satellite radio via SiriusXM Radio.

A recent case study by Cumulus Media -- which owns Westwood One, a massive radio network -- proposes that promoting podcasts on AM/FM radio is a successful marketing strategy.

 This week’s Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group® blog outlines a case study recently done with Cumulus Podcast Network podcasts that reveals why AM/FM radio is a great place to promote podcasts.

A majority of the podcast audience also listens to AM/FM radio and vice versa: Edison’s “Infinite Dial” study reveals of the weekly AM/FM radio audience 45% listen to podcasts weekly, 55% listen to podcasts monthly, and 77% have ever listened to podcasts.

Edison’s “Share of Ear” study finds in a typical day, two-thirds of podcast listeners also listen to AM/FM radio.

As podcast reach soars, promoting podcasts on AM/FM radio becomes a stronger marketing platform: According to Edison’s just released Q2 2023 “Share of Ear” study, the 25-54 daily reach of podcasts has exploded over the last three years. Currently, nearly one out of three American 25-54s listen to podcasts each day.

The greater the time spent with AM/FM radio, the greater the awareness for the promoted podcasts: Overall, 54% of the Cumulus radio audience was aware of the eight Cumulus Podcast Network podcasts. A much larger promotion of heavy AM/FM radio listeners (67%) were aware of the podcast titles.

Podcast advertising recall: Heavy AM/FM radio listeners (over the air and streaming) are more likely to be aware of ads for podcasts on AM/FM radio.

Specific podcast promo awareness: Among heavy AM/FM radio listeners, there is 3X more awareness for specific podcasts promoted on AM/FM radio versus light AM/FM radio listeners.

Podcast tune-in consideration: One out of four heavy AM/FM radio listeners and 29% of heavy AM/FM radio streaming listeners said they were likely to try listening to the promoted podcasts.

It is interesting that a large company that owns both radio stations and a podcast network would compile such a study. 

On a similar note, Beasley Media Group has partnered with Podcast Radio and KMG Networks to unveil a new podcast multiplatform radio format in four regions across the company.

The unique format will be available to listeners via broadcast in multiple regions on Beasley stations, including: Detroit: 93.5 FM and WCSX-94.7 HD2
Tampa: 1010 WHFS-AM
Charlotte: 94.7 FM and WSOC-HD3
Ft. Myers / Naples: 96.5 FM/101.5 FM & 105.1 FM and WXKB-HD2

In addition, fans of spoken word content will also be able to stream the first four custom stations and discover new podcasts via the PodcastRadioUS.com website. The stations and digital channels will be branded as Podcast Radio Carolinas, Podcast Radio Southwest Florida, Podcast Radio Detroit and Podcast Radio Tampa Bay. Each region’s podcast content will be supported with localized imaging, promos, and ID’s.

Podcast Radio features live “Podjocks”, including former KROQ-FM (Los Angeles) Personality and Legendary Radio Hall of Famer Gene “Bean” Baxter. The format will showcase the very best produced and popular podcasts from the U.S. and all over the world, including audio content from TedAudio (TedTalk), Wondery, Evergreen, Corus, and more.

The initiative with Beasley is the first of its kind for the company in the United States. The format will be offered to radio stations and groups on a network/barter basis via KMG Networks. AdLarge Media has been selected to facilitate the network advertising sales.

“Podcast Radio is an idea that Caroline Beasley and our team have been thinking about and researching for years, and we’re excited to be the first to launch this format in the United States,” said Beasley Media Group Chief Content Officer Justin Chase. “This concept has been highly successful for Gerry and his team in the United Kingdom, and we believe our audience will fall in love with the Podcast Radio U.S. version we present on our stations.”

“We are beyond excited to be working with Beasley as a forward-thinking and innovative company,” said Gerry Edwards, Founder & CEO of Podcast Radio. “Caroline, the team, and Beasley’s great station brands will make fantastic first movers into the Podcast Radio format as they embrace this unique new radio content as a leader in both broadcast and digital.”

We'll have to see how this union of podcasting and radio works out. 

To me, it's reminiscent of the gunfight at the OK Corral.

Who will draw their guns first? 

Photo by Ron Lach