AM FM Radio Still in Vogue
Jun 24, 2015
Smarter cars are on everyone’s lips. From Wi-Fi in vehicles to voice-activated controls, the public are demanding the latest cutting edge technology and vehicle manufacturers are more than happy to oblige. In just 10 years we’ve gone from cruise control to parking assist and soon fully autonomous vehicles. So when a study is published that shows motorists are still clinging on to a piece of technology most would consider outdated, it’s hard not to be caught off guard.
What is that piece of technology you ask? AM/FM radio! With drivers having a plethora of choices for entertainment including MP3 player inputs and Satellite and streaming radio through built-in infotainment systems it surprising to see AM/FM radio is still a large piece of the entertainment pie. Two studies conducted in 2015 by market research firm Ipsos discovered that drivers are still reluctant to fully switch off.
The study found that 84 percent of participants surveyed still listen to AM or FM terrestrial radio, 62% said they listened at least once a day. Equally surprising are the responses about paid streaming services. Of those asked, only 29 percent of drivers had a paid subscription for one of these companies, and among the remainder, 80 percent said that they wouldn't want to dish out the cash each month.
Perhaps even more surprising than AM/FM radio is the fact that 64 percent of respondents said they still use compact discs in the car and had on average 10.5 CDs in their vehicle at any given time. It seems that even though consumers are clamoring for new technology, they are reluctant to let go of what has worked in the past. Theories as to why this is could range from consumers struggling to understand how to use their infotainment systems, which has been reported in the news, to owners of more expensive, tech-savvy vehicles being older citizens who are historically not early adapters of new technology.
Whatever the case may be, it seems AM/FM radio is here for the foreseeable future and may be in more demand than originally believed. Good news for any aspiring disc jockeys out there.
