Radio Trends
What do you think: is radio still effective for spreading God’s Word?
This is by no means a new conversation, and those in broadcasting understand the perennial struggle to quantify the effectiveness of a channel that freely broadcasts to the masses with little to no knowledge of who is listening, not to mention where, how, or when they’re listening.
When compared to the down-to-the-point-listeners-dropped-off metrics digital channels offer, broadcast media appears to fall short. But the data that is tracked suggests just the opposite—despite digital media’s availability and accessibility, radio remains a significant medium with a substantial listener base.
For example,
- As of autumn 2021, major Canadian markets such as Toronto and Vancouver reported daily radio audiences of approximately 5.87 million and 2.46 million [source]
- In 2022 in Canada, there were 965 radio stations in operation, generating over $1.5 billion in revenue [source]
- In winter 2024, AM/FM radio was reaching 84% of Canadians every week across metered markets [source]
- As of March 31, 2022, the United States had a total of 15,445 licensed full-power radio stations (4,484 AM, 6,682 commercial FM, and 4,759 educational FM stations) [source]
- In 2022, the U.S. radio industry generated approximately $20.9 billion [source]
- In the United States, religious radio formats, including Contemporary Christian and Religion, are in the top 10 genres nationwide and are showing significant growth trends [source]
- Surveyed listeners in the United States say they often turn to Christian radio for positivity and spiritual encouragement, with many reporting it helps them stay connected to their faith throughout the day [source]
Why This Matters
This week’s topic is inspired by one of our clients, wondering if we had resources that demonstrated the effectiveness of radio in bringing the Word of God to people. We thought this was something our larger community would also find helpful.
Committing to broadcasting is no small investment. It takes money to pay for airtime and equipment, it takes training, talent, and expertise to create and produce a quality program people want to tune in for, and it takes time to build a listening audience that will engage with and support your ministry.
Understanding how radio reaches people, when they’re listening, and what they respond best to can feel like a game of Pin the Tail on the Donkey without the detailed data digital media provides, which is why partnerships with broadcasting experts are so important. They’ll help you navigate the nuanced world of broadcast media and advise you on how to invest your resources wisely so you can reach the most people with God’s Word effectively.
Next Steps
Radio isn’t just surviving, it’s thriving. In Canada alone, radio reaches millions of listeners every day and faith-based stations are consistently a trusted source of encouragement, connection, and Bible teaching. People may spend more time scrolling social media in an average day, but when they turn on the radio, you have their attention.
What do you think? Is radio still viable in 2025? We’d love to hear your thoughts! And if this sparks more questions about broadcasting let us know. We’re always happy to chat.
Robyn Roste
Media Manager | robyn@eaglecom.ca