Is Broadcast Radio Dead?

It’s complicated, and it starts with relevance.
by Smitty (WB1G)

Having spent 15 years working in radio, in front of and behind the microphone, I am passionate about this topic. So the best place to start is whether radio is still relevant. The simple answer is yes, but limited to a demographic that is aging out. The primary radio advertising “buying demo” is adults 25–54. As Gen Xers get older and head into retirement, spending becomes more calculated. Broadcast radio remains dominant in vehicles, with AM/FM representing over 70% of ad-supported in-car listening among the upper end of the demographic. Radio remains a strong reach medium, but it is no longer the center of people’s audio lives. The key is the “upper end of the demographic”.

What’s In A Name?
Ask your kids or grandkids what their favorite radio station is and who their favorite DJ is. Among ages 13–24, over-the-air radio accounts for roughly 16% of total audio time. Only 10% of ages 13–17 and 5% of ages 18–24 identify AM/FM as their primary source for discovering music (from Radio World and Radio Ink).

Plenty of under-25s “hear radio”, often in a parent’s car, workplace, or shared setting, but that doesn’t mean they intentionally selected the station, know its call letters or frequency, or could name it when asked. In advertisers’ eyes, that is not good.

What about AM radio?
According to Edison Research, AM radio is in a substantially weaker position with people under 25 than FM radio. Current national studies generally combine AM and FM, so there is no credible published percentage showing how many under-25s can name an AM station. AM isn’t dead as a distribution system, but among younger listeners it has a serious brand awareness and intentional-use problem that makes ad monetization challenging beyond radio’s broader challenge. Large antenna systems and towers require substantial land, ground radials, and specialized maintenance, which makes AM cost prohibitive in many markets. A National Alliance of State Broadcasters Associations survey of more than 1,000 AM stations found that over 70% of AM radio stations on the air today have an FM simulcast.

Looking into the crystal ball, how much time do we have left? In the United States, FM radio likely has at least another 20 years as a meaningful broadcast service; however, that doesn’t indicate profitability. Among existing radio fans surveyed by Jacobs Media, broadcast delivery fell from 85% of station listening in 2013 to 54% in 2026. Digital delivery rose from 14% to 44%; among Gen Z, digital has already slightly passed broadcast. The greater near-term risk isn’t that the FM band is switched off. It’s that individual stations become economically unsustainable, further consolidate, reduce local programming or operate mainly as automated extensions of digital brands. To be frank, this has already been happening for the last 20 years.

So where does that leave us?
I’m sorry to say, when Gen Xers and early Millennials age out, broadcast radio will become more niche and background noise.

INTERACTIVE BAND PLAN

The ARRL band plan is a PDF you squint at, scroll through, and eventually give up on. The following is the same information made usable and interactive.

Search a frequency or a mode and jump straight to it. Filter by license class to see exactly where your privileges begin and end. Every segment is color-coded by mode, so you can tell at a glance whether you’re about to call CQ in the middle of the digital watering hole.

Covers 2200 meters through microwave. Works on your phone in the field, on your laptop at the operating desk, and in color-blind-friendly and light modes.

A band plan is a voluntary agreement among operators to keep incompatible modes out of each other’s way. It is not the law, Part 97 is. Always check current FCC rules before transmitting.

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