Since the founding of the United States, newspapers have played a critical role in our country’s development, spreading news, opinion and even humor. The problem? Newspapers took days or even weeks to get news delivered. The most dramatic change in media occurred in the 1920’s as radio became the first method of transmitting news and entertainment instantly. It didn’t take long for radio to connect its listeners with advertisers who were eager to use the media to reach consumers.

Radio Faces its first New Competitor in the 1950’s

A sea-change occurred in the 1950’s as television made its debut, bringing black and white, and eventually color images into American homes. How would radio compete against this new competitor? Compete it did, even expanding its audience as rock and roll hit the airwaves and FM improved the quality of sound. Radio was even more embraced by younger demos, who sought to hear deep album tracks in stereo on FM radio. Automobile sales exploded and each new vehicle came with an AM/FM radio. Legendary rock stations grew across the United States, building audiences, promoting concerts and being the voice of a generation…or two.

The Internet, Satellite, and Podcasts…Oh, My!

Even with the introduction of the internet in the 1990’s, radio grew its audience and continued to do so in the face of satellite radio (33 million users) and podcasts (24 million users). Broadcast radio is still the elephant in the room, at over 245 million weekly listeners. Has social media made an impact? Of course, but the reality is radio compliments social media by helping direct listeners to the web. If anything, smartphones have positively impacted radio listenership as users have new ways to access their favorite broadcast stations through apps and streaming services.

What Makes Radio So Dependable?

Much of it has to do with local personalities who have built trust with their audiences. Local broadcast radio still has the pulse of American cities and is the best way to build trust and convey your message to large groups of consumers in your target market. This is where MediaTracks Communications excels.

Taking Advantage of Radio: The Dependable Media

At MediaTracks, we know and understand radio. We’ve immersed ourselves in this dependable media since the 1980s, building relationships and crafting public relations and marketing vehicles to help deliver the message of our clients to listeners coast-to-coast. We use Audio News Releases (ANRs) and Spanish ANRs, Public Service Announcements (PSAs), and Radio Media Tours (RMTs), professionally produced and targeted, to deliver tangible results.

While some marketers and public relations firms are focused on digital media, there are significant opportunities in dependable, trustworthy, traditional radio. Contact MediaTracks Communications and rediscover how radio can be a powerful ally in reaching a new audience for your clients.