“What Happened to our Audience?” Radio and New Technology
Uses and Gratifications among Young Adult Users
Alan B. Albarran, Tonya Anderson, Ligia Garcia Bejar, Anna L. Busart,
Elizabeth Daggett, Sarah Gibson, Matt Gorman, Danny Greer, Miao Guo,
Jennifer L. Horst, Tania Khalaf, John Phillip Lay, Michael McCracken,
Bill Mott & Heather Way
Department of Radio, Television & Film
The University of North Texas
P. O. Box 310589
Denton, TX 76203
albarran@unt.edu
A paper presented at the 2006 Consuming Audiences Conference, Copenhagen,
Denmark, September 28-29, 2006.
Dr. Alan B. Albarran is Professor and Chair of the Department of Radio, Television
and Film at the University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA. The co-authors are
all second year graduate students in the MA and MFA programs within the
Department of Radio, Television and Film at the University of North Texas. This
paper is based on a graduate course project conducted in the spring of 2006.
“What Happened to our Audience?” Radio and New Technology
Uses and Gratifications among Young Adult Users
Abstract
Recent industry research in the United States suggests younger audiences are
leaving terrestrial radio for new technologies like MP3 players, Internet radio, and
satellite radio. This paper presents findings from a survey of 430 undergraduate students
regarding their uses and gratifications of these new technologies. The sample consisted
entirely of people age 18-24, where the likelihood of new media use and adoption is
expected to be high. The situation in the U. S. may describe similar patterns in other
countries. The study discusses the theoretical and practical implications of the findings,
and the potential impact on terrestrial radio.
“What Happened to our Audience?” Radio and New Technology
Uses and Gratifications among Young Adult Users
From its inception, radio has been challenged by a number of different
technologies, each drawing listeners away and forcing radio to update its programming in
order to remain a competitive media source. The radio industry has been successful in
adapting to various forces throughout its history in order to remain successful (Albarran,
2002). Arguably, television was the first competitor in the mid-twentieth century and
radio responded with new music formats to replace programs shifting to TV. The 1960s
brought the debut of stereo FM, forcing AM radio to embrace more talk-oriented and
niche programming. As eight-tracks, cassettes, and compact discs began to diffuse, they
offered alternatives in the automobile to radio listening. With the introduction of Internet
or streaming radio, satellite radio, and MP3s and other digital file formats with the multisource compatibility of these new technologies, radio is currently experiencing yet
another challenge–one that shifts the way in which radio is talked about and how it is
used.
In the early part of the 21st century, younger audiences (e.g. 18-24 year olds) are
extremely savvy with technology. For example, one-fifth of Americans 12 and older own
an MP3 player (Kleinschmit, 2006); twenty-one percent (of one recent survey sample)
listen to streamed music or audio (Greenspan, 2003); and another twenty-eight percent
report being aware of, or listening to podcasts (Musgrove, 2005). Young people are able
to choose their content from a vast menu that is as diverse as the motivations driving their
selections. These motivations may include sensation seeking, need for information,
withdrawal, and theme of the content among other types of characteristics (Hall, 2005).
Whatever the reason, the ways in which young people maneuver through these
technologies is of ongoing interest to media researchers.
This study seeks to understand how new technologies such as MP3 players,
Internet radio, podcasting, and satellite radio affect attitudes and usage of traditional
radio.
Two primary research questions guide this study:
RQ1: What do 18-24 year-olds listen to in terms of technologies?
RQ2: Are new listening technologies providing new needs or displacing
needs once satisfied by traditional radio?
Researchers could approach these phenomena using a number of theoretical
foundations. However, the uses and gratifications approach which assumes an active
audience would be best applied. With choice comes fragmentation in consumer activity
and the uses and gratifications approach posits that a consumer is self-motivated to use a
certain technology based on an anticipated set of need(s) or gratification obtained. The
following section of the paper reviews key literature in the uses and gratifications
tradition as relevant to this study.
Literature Review: Uses and Gratifications Research and Radio Listening
Much of the early uses and gratification research was effects-oriented research
focusing primarily on what attracted and held audiences to different kinds of media
(Lazarsfeld & Stanton, 1941; 1979). Katz, Blumler, and Gurevitch (1974) presented
three main objectives when discussing the logic of uses and gratification research. These
objectives include an explanation of how mass media is utilized by individuals to gratify
specific needs; an understanding of individual user motives for media behavior; and
identification of functions or consequences that are the result of the needs, motivations,
and communication consumption behavior.
Katz and Foulkes (1962) clarified the concept that the media is used as an escape.
Mendelsohn (1964) identified several motives of radio listening: companionship, filling a
void created by daily routine, altering mood, relieving boredom, providing news and
information, allowing active participation in events, and overcoming social isolation.
Katz, Gurevitch and Haas (1973) found that individuals use media to connect or
disconnect with themselves and others via instrumental, affective, or integrative relations.
Killing time was the only listening motivation identified in a survey of college students
conducted by Lichenstein and Rosenfeld (1983).
Edwards and Singletary (1980) concluded a strong relationship between music
format selection and personal identity, as well as a connection between an individual’s
lifestyle and music format preferences. Houghton-Larsen (1982) found the following
radio listening motives among college students; music, companionship, and general
information content.
Towers (1985) produced two distinct dimensions in regard to news content on the
radio; a combination of surveillance and interaction within the user’s surroundings, and a
separate dimension of diversion from the environment. Towers (1987) discussed two
additional motivational dimensions from his past findings and found that entertainment,
immediate news, and localness of news is important to the radio users. Towers also
found that there is a ritualistic nature of listening to the radio.
Demassification, introduced by Williams, Rice and Rogers (1988), is the power
over the medium by the individual. Demassification is defined as the ability of the media
user to select from a wide menu. Williams, Rice and Rogers (1988) also introduced the
concept of “asynchroneity”. Asynchroneity refers to the concept that messages may be
staggered in time. In regard to radio usage, the user has the ability to manipulate the
media; for example, to save music on an MP3 player, to be listened to later.
Armstrong and Rubin (1989) found several patterns of motives for listening to
and calling talk radio programs. The study found that listening motives were interrelated.
Affinity with talk radio, time spent listening and communication and social differences
were related, and listening motives were associated with communication and social
variables. The study also found that motives for listening to radio, with the exception of
information seeking, were interrelated which supports past findings that media motives
are connected and not all media use is goal-directed.
Chamberlin (1994) found that through demassification the individual media user
is able, via new media technologies, to select from a large selection of media, previously
shared only with other individuals. Individuals can save, send, receive, or retrieve
messages at their convenience. In relation to radio and new technologies, once the music
is digitized, one can manipulate the media, allowing more control over the medium. Ha
and James (1998) found the following dimensions: interactivity, playfulness, choice,
connectedness, information collection, and reciprocal communications received by the
individual.
New Technologies Impact on Terrestrial Radio
As new media technologies emerge providing users with a wider range of choices,
individuals tend to select content that interests them most. Yet given the many options,
users still tend to choose a relatively small “repertoire” of media channels (Heeter &
Greenberg, 1985). While the media environment continues to evolve, the usefulness of
different media content for satisfying individual needs changes as well (Perse &
Courtright, 1993), differing from person to person.
Although, there have been relatively few recent uses and gratifications studies on
new media forms such as MP3s and podcasting, there have been some interesting
findings. Early adopters of MP3 technology have been shown to be the greatest threat
facing radio (Bachman, 2005). Eighty-five percent of a sample in one study would
choose an MP3 player over traditional radio as their preferred listening source. Fifty
percent listened to Internet radio, spent more time with this format than they were six
months ago. Fifty-four percent claimed there is no radio station in their area that played
music they wished to hear ("How to make music radio more . . . " 2005). Only a handful
of studies have explored uses of satellite radio.
In a study of satellite radio adoption, Lin (2005) found that younger radio listeners
who downloaded MP3s did so as a diversion from radio and did so habitually. When
these younger listeners did listen to radio, they frequently changed the channel to avoid
commercials. Additionally, most radio audiences perceive satellite radio as a distinctive
media separate from terrestrial radio delivering dissimilar types of content. Because of
this distinction, loyalty to terrestrial radio content did not automatically translate into
adoption of satellite radio. Similarly, Book and Grady (2005) found that adoption of
alternate media forms by radio listeners occurred mostly among those who were highly
dissatisfied with traditional terrestrial radio programming. Once theses listeners adopted
new media forms, they reduced their radio listening time by sixty-one percent. Despite
reducing their listening time, these individuals continued to listen to terrestrial radio
during morning commutes because of the local content. Interestingly, poor audio quality
was not indicated as a reason for adopting alternative media.
Method
A research design utilizing both qualitative and quantitative approaches was used
for this study to understand the music listening preferences of young people. Focus
groups were used to gather qualitative data on uses and possible gratifications among
new listening technologies. The information derived from the focus groups was used to
prepare a questionnaire for a larger study involving a wider sample base.
Focus Groups. Two separate focus groups were conducted in February 2006
using individuals randomly recruited by members of the research team. Each member of
the research group prepared questions to be asked in the focus groups in order to acquire
a better understanding of music listening preferences among adults 18-24 years old. The
focus group questionnaire included uses and gratifications of traditional radio, MP3 and
podcasting, Internet radio, and satellite radio. The first focus group contained seven
participants; there were twelve individuals in the second focus group. The duration for
each focus group was one hour. The focus groups were videotaped and audio recorded in
order to conduct a detailed content analysis by the research group.
In the week following the focus group sessions a content analysis of the recorded
focus groups was conducted. A subset of the research team met independently to review
the footage and identify trends regarding the uses and gratifications for 18-24 year-olds,
or lack there of, in various listening technologies.
The content analysis team observed that most subjects expressed a desire for
control over their listening selection (as not found in terrestrial radio), loathed anything
associated with corporately owned radio or the term, “mainstream,” and grew frustrated
with the perceived repetitive content found primarily on terrestrial radio (“the same five
songs” was a common phrase which subjects used to describe AM/FM content). Based
on patterns in the focus groups’ mentality and usage pertaining to audio media, a
quantitative survey was drafted by the entire research team and finalized by the lead
researcher.
Quantitative Design--Survey. The self-report questionnaire design consisted of
checklist, mutually exclusive, rank-ordering, filtering, multiple choice, and rating scale
questions. The questionnaire contained nominal, ordinal, and interval data variables.
The survey consisted of twenty-one questions concerning ownership or access to
technology, listening habits, gratifications associated with music listening, as well as
several demographic items (age, income, ethnicity, gender). A copy of the survey is
available from the first author.
Prior to the data collection the University of North Texas Institutional Review
Board granted an informed consent form approving the research project. Pre-tests of the
survey instrument were also conducted in order to rule out any unforeseen problems with
the questionnaire design.
Sample and Characteristics of the Respondents. A purposive sample was used for
the study drawing upon large-scale lecture courses the research team had access to at the
University of North Texas. A total of 430 surveys were completed by students between
the ages of 18-24 at the University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA. The mean age
of the sample was 20 years old. Males represented 58% of the sample population while
females represented 41% of the sample population.
Results
In terms of technology ownership and uses, the respondents were asked to answer
“yes” or “no” regarding ownership or use with various forms of technology.
Table 1: Ownership and Experiences with Technology
Technology Ownership/Use
Percentage Responding “Yes”
Own a PC
98.4%
Have a broadband connection
87.2%
Have a cable/satellite subscription
81.2%
Own a cell (mobile) phone
61.4%
Have download music from Internet
64.9%
Own an MP3 Player
58.1%
Use streaming media
53%
Subscribe to Satellite Radio
11.2%
Have listened to a Podcast
26.7%
Listen to AM/FM Radio
88.1%
Overall, the sample was very technologically savvy. Given that the sample consisted of a
student audience, it is not surprising that a subscription to a satellite radio service is the
lowest ownership item at 11.2% of the sample. Most students lack the discretionary
income to afford a satellite radio subscription.
Respondents were next asked about their listening habits, to music in general and
to AM/FM radio in particular. In terms of music listening, 52.3% reported listening at
least 2 or more hours a day; 35.1% reported listening to music for 1-2 hours a day, and
12.6% indicated they listen less than one hour a day. As for listening to AM/FM radio,
50.2% of the sample reported they never listen to terrestrial radio; 26% reported they
listen less than an hour a day; 8.6% indicated they listen to radio 1-2 hours a day, and less
than one percent (.9) reported listening more than 2 hours a day.
Respondents were also asked to rate AM/FM, MP3, Streaming or Internet-only
Radio, and Satellite radio in their ability to provide them with entertainment using a five
point scale (1 = very poor; 5 = very good).1 Respondents rated the MP3 the highest with
a mean of 3.95, followed by satellite radio (2.95), streaming via the Internet (2.86) and
AM/FM last ( 2.67).
Of particular interest to this study was the role gratifications played in
determining respondent perceptions and attitudes towards the four audio technologies
examined in this sample. The mean scores for each of the four technologies for each of
the gratifications are presented in Table 2.
Table 2 illustrates the strength of the MP3 technology in serving a wide array of
gratifications among young adult listeners. The MP3 ranked the highest among the four
technologies in all but one item, “To give you access to news and information;” for this
item, traditional AM/FM radio ranked the highest among the technologies.
Among the remaining gratification items, AM/FM radio came in either second or
third in terms of rankings; for all of the gratification items, satellite radio was rated the
lowest, but this is not surprising given the low number of satellite radio subscribers in the
sample, as well as the fact that the satellite services are not really marketed to young
audiences.
Table 2: Mean Scores for Gratification Items
Gratification Item
AM/FM
MP3
Streaming
Sat Radio
To give you a variety of listening choices
how helpful is . . .
To help you pass time
2.51
3.17
2.41
1.93
2.73
3.20
2.30
1.73
To give you greater control over your
listening experience
To help you relax
1.95
3.40
2.42
1.83
2.40
3.22
2.21
1.67
To provide music and entertainment at
times convenient for you
To help you forget your daily cares
2.61
2.96
2.30
1.70
2.42
3.08
2.17
1.63
To give you access to news and
information
To give you a number of different
entertainment choices
To help you occupy your time
3.11
1.38
1.91
1.59
2.52
3.05
2.58
2.01
2.70
3.14
2.33
1.72
To give you the best value for your money
3.01
3.12
2.41
1.64
Note: Items coded as 1 = “not very helpful” to 4 “very helpful”
A separate forced-choice response followed the gratification items. Respondents
were asked to identify which of the four technologies they would keep for their music
listening if they could only choose one. The sample again showed a strong preference for
the MP3 compared to other technologies. Approximately 68.4% indicated they would
keep their MP3; 21.4% of the respondents indicated they would keep AM/FM; only 4%
streaming media, and 5.6% would keep satellite radio.
Given the strong rankings for the MP3 technology, the research team decided to
take the analysis a bit further to determine if differences in MP3 ratings were related to
In this study, we use the term “streaming” to represent listening to music through a live stream on the
Internet as well as to represent Internet or online-only radio stations. Therefore, the term streaming covers
listening to music via the Internet regardless of the source.
1
age, gender, income, or ethnicity. The only significant difference observed was in
regards to gender; females rated the MP3 higher than males (t=-2.68, df = 425, p = .008).
Discussion and Conclusions
While traditional radio has continued to thrive despite challenges from a number
of competing technologies, it appears the medium is encountering new significant
challenges from a variety of emerging media, especially among young adult audiences.
This study intended to establish how young people listened to music and explore their
preferences and needs regarding listening. This research revealed the MP3 technology to
be the preferred listening format and traditional radio to be only useful in specific
situations (primarily in the car) and only preferred as a source of news and information.
Aside from its ability to deliver news and information, traditional AM/FM radio
did not fare well according to this data. With nearly 50% of the sample indicating they
never listen to radio, this is extremely problematic for an industry that has a long history
of cultivating young listeners. The focus groups revealed a number of negative
perceptions about radio that are reflected among society: too many commercial
interruptions, too little variety in music, and too much industry consolidation so that all
stations sound the same.
Clearly, the radio industry faces a key challenge in trying to compete for young
adult audiences in this heavily technology era where variety and choice are key
motivations for listening to music. If young people continue to abandon AM/FM radio
for everything but news, it will have major implications for the medium in terms of
programming, its ability to attract advertising, and its long-term future. Radio is still
perceived as a good second choice to the MP3, but as these audiences age will they still
perceive radio as serving only these limited needs?
While MP3s offer a lot of perceived gratifications for control, future studies could
look into how much of respondents’ satisfaction with MP3s is due to heavier and better
marketing of players like Apple’s iPod. While traditional radio is available in small
personal players, overwhelmingly the respondents in this study indicate they are not
taking AM/FM with them. As more and more mobile phones become Internet-ready with
MP3 capability, that combination of technologies seems to be very promising for the
future of MP3s as well.
This study was limited in several ways. The data was collected at a single
University location, and a purposive sample was necessary due to time and budget
constraints. The usual concerns with self-report data are also noted as typical of survey
research. Still, the study offers an important glimpse at the way new technology is
changing music listening and the role of gratifications in this process.
Additional research is needed to understand what motivates individuals to choose
various digital forms of music. Some questions raised by this study that can be answered
in future research include:

Are listeners abandoning terrestrial radio due to lack of a specific radio format?

What specific music genres are prevalent among MP3 and Internet radio users,
and satellite radio subscribers?

Is peer influence a factor in advancing MP3 usage? What influence does word of
mouth play in the adoption of the various media technologies?
In conclusion, the digital era provides young consumers with the ultimate in flexibility
and choice with their music listening. Traditional radio appears to have limited utility in
this new environment, and must re-think how to entice younger audiences to return to the
terrestrial radio programming.
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