Dial Global Says 20.6 Million Listened to Final Four on Radio

Dial Global: 20.6 million heard Final Four.

Proving the power of sports on radio, nearly as many people heard a broadcast of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four on broadcast radio as heard the Super Bowl. Dial Global says radio’s Final Four audience was an estimated 20.6 million, nearly as large as the 23.1 million who tuned-in to hear the New York Giants defeat of the New England Patriots.

512 affiliates carried Final Four programming between March 31 and April 2.  “We are pleased that our previous research findings still hold true, people desire play-by-play sports on radio in a big way,” Dial Global co-CEO David Landau says.  The network came up with the audience estimates by commissioning Edison Research to conduct a national telephone survey on Tuesday, the day after the University of Kentucky Wildcats’ victory over the University of Kansas Jayhawks.

Country Music Fans Listen Digitally

One in five country music fans never tune in to country radio stations, according to a research study released Wednesday afternoon at Country Radio Seminar, a four-day national gathering of music makers, players and radio industry executives in downtown Nashville.

Country music fans get their music from websites, their own collections stored on iPods or listening to other types of radio stations, the annual report on industry trends found.

Artists that skew younger like Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood are popular with all ages of fans, and they are recognizable from both devoted and casual listeners.  Younger country music fans are not the only ones downloading country music.  Adults and those that have been country music fans for 20+ years are also buying digital music in droves.

Like all radio, what can country music now do to keep listeners.  stay tuned.

iHeartRadio Adds Greater Media Radio Stations

Clear Channel Radio, the leading media company in America, and Greater Media, a premiere privately held broadcasting company, announced today that Greater Media’s 22 radio stations will be available on the iHeartRadio digital radio platform, offering Greater Media’s listeners more choice and an enhanced digital listening experience.

Under the agreement, Greater Media’s 22 AM and FM radio stations in Boston, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Detroit and New Jersey will be available on the iHeartRadio platform beginning April 2012. iHeartRadio is Clear Channel Radio’s free, industry-leading digital radio service that offers more than 800 broadcast and digital-only radio stations from 150 cities plus the ability to create custom radio stations, delivering listeners everything they want all in one fully integrated service.

“Adding Greater Media to iHeartRadio only improves our leading digital destination for consumers, expanding their ability to find the best and most complete online radio experience anywhere,” said John Hogan, President and CEO of Clear Channel Radio. “Clear Channel Radio and Greater Media understand that radio connects local businesses to consumers like no other medium can, and this agreement offers more choices for our listeners which is what they want.”

“We are thrilled to be able to provide our listeners with even greater access to our stations, anywhere they may be listening throughout the country, with this exciting platform,” said Greater Media Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Peter H. Smyth.

iHeartRadio is available to consumers through the Web, mobile devices and automobiles. It is the number one free broadcast radio app on the iPhone and Android. There have been 47 million downloads of iHeartRadio mobile apps.