For radio programmers, rights holders, and Black music executives, the latest Nielsen data validates that AM/FM radio remains the single most effective channel for reaching US consumers, outpacing every digital and traditional media platform. This dominance ensures terrestrial radio retains its critical role in ad-supported audio strategies, securing the primary audience touchpoint for labels and publishers seeking maximum exposure.
Radio Maintains Unassailable Weekly Reach Lead
AM/FM radio reached 87% of US adults on a weekly basis during the first quarter of 2026, cementing its position as the nation’s media reach leader. This figure significantly outperforms smartphone app and web use, which captured 82% of weekly reach, and TV-connected devices at 78%. Traditional live and time-shifted television trailed further at 71%, while computer internet use and tablet app usage fell to 58% and 41% respectively. The data, drawn from Katz Radio Group’s Sound Answers series using Nielsen Audience Insights Data Tables, confirms radio’s weekly reach held steady year over year across every reported audience segment.
Younger Audiences Still Prefer Radio Over Digital Apps
Contrary to persistent misperceptions about Gen Z and Millennial media habits, radio holds the top spot for weekly reach among adults aged 18 to 34, hitting 81%. This group reached radio ahead of smartphone app and web use at 76%, TV-connected devices at 74%, and live television at 49%. Radio also dominated every other age break reported, including adults 65 and older, where weekly reach hit 90% compared to television’s 87%. While smartphone usage grew during the quarter with daily app time rising by an average of one minute and 28 seconds, Katz framed this gain as additive rather than substitutional, arguing consumers layer digital media onto existing habits without replacing radio listening.
In-Car Audio Share Reinforces Terrestrial Dominance
These reach findings build on a Westwood One and Advertiser Perceptions commuter study, which found terrestrial radio held 83% of in-car, ad-supported audio share using Edison Research data from the same quarter. This in-car dominance reinforces radio’s unique ability to reach consumers closest to the point of purchase, a vital metric for advertisers and music industry stakeholders. The data that despite the fragmentation of the media landscape, AM/FM radio remains the dominant ad-supported listening choice across all locations, not just in vehicles or offices.
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