For Immediate Release:

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

TSL is UP Among MP3 Users?

As Bridge Ratings & Research has been studying traditional radio useage in our weekly audience studies, we have also been curious as to time spent with iPods/MP3 digital music players among traditional radio users.

This first look at a three-month composite of radio users suggests an increase in time spent with traditional radio the longer radio listeners own these digital players.

The study asked listeners of traditional radio 12 years and older whether they owned and used a digital music player, for how long have they owned these devices and if they were spending more time with the digital music player than they were 3 months ago. We also asked if these respondents were spending more, less or the same amount of time with their favorite radio station than they were three months ago.

How to read: Of the persons 12+ and older asked about their digital music player use over the last 30 days, 84% of those who have owned a digital music player for three months say they were using it more they were 3 months ago, while 13% were using it the same amount as they were 3 months ago. 11% of those who have owned digital music devices for more than six months were using the players less than they were 3 months ago.

How to read: Of those who said they owned digital music players less than a month, 34% state they are listening to the radio the same as they were 3 months ago.

Significance of findings: The use of digital music players does not appear to be significantly affecting time spent with traditional radio.

While new owners of MP3 players and iPods show decline in time spent with traditional radio, the longer people own these devices the less reduced is their listening to traditional radio.

In fact, 25% of the respondents who owned digital music players more than six months are listening to traditional radio more than they were three months ago and only 8% of this group are listening less.

The usage figures are more revealing when looked at demographically.

Among teens, digital music players clearly impact their radio listening during the first 3-4 months of ownership and use. However, at 4 months, the reduction of radio listening begins to level off and then increase.

For additional information, contact Dave Van Dyke at 818.291.6420.

Results reflect listener behavior between February and April 2005

Sample size: 3120 persons 12+. Measured markets: Los Angeles, Boston, Phoenix, Ventura California, Chicago