More people get their news from community radio - Abacus Data
New polling data says more Canadians are consuming community radio than ever before.
Barry Rooke, Executive Director of the National Campus /Community Radio Association says “COVID-19 changed how Canadians live their lives and consume media. In a recent study conducted by Abacus Data, we found that since 2017, the number of listeners tuning into campus and community radio has increased by over 4.4 million listeners.”
The data indicates that Canadians are listening to more campus and community radio than ever before. Since the initial survey in 2017, listenership is up 14% across Canada.
Alex Freedman, Executive Director of the Community Radio Fund of Canada says “With a rise in disinformation, Canadians are turning to local radio and looking for a connection that they can count on.” He says “Many rural and small committees feel left out from the national and major broadcasters. These broadcasters often under-represent Canadians or indigenous people who don’t feel represented national news outlets.”
The survey conducted by Abacus Data concludes that 66% of Canadians consume local news through campus or community radio stations, while 64% of Canadians consume national news through campus or community radio stations.
74% of Canadians who are active in their community listen to campus or community radio. Since 2017, listenership of campus and community radio has increased by over 4.4 million listeners.
