The results of this survey strongly indicate that radio news will continue to remain an integral and important part of the American news landscape. The survey also suggests that there is room for news to grow and change on radio as the industry looks for new ways to serve the public.
News is an important reason why people select a radio station.
It is seen as a welcome addition to other programming on radio and is second only to music as a reason for picking a particular radio station. As we consider a future in which many new technologies will become available to the public, local news and information may be the one distinguishing factor that keeps the public tuned into radio. We hope that radio executives will use this study to evaluate the role that news plays on radio and to consider new ways in which news can serve the audience. Our thanks to Maura Clancey and the staff at SRI for their good work. Our thanks to Robert Garcia, Tom Evans, Michael Freedman, Bob Priddy, and Bob Salsberg for their suggestions and guidance.