Click here to view a 10-minute video of the key findings.

Click here to download a PDF of the full deck.

Ad industry perceptions of media audiences are often completely opposite reality. Duncan Stewart, Director of Research, Technology, Media & Telecommunications at Deloitte, puts it best: “Why do people think that nobody listens to radio anymore? Because there is a narrative that new media kills old media, so nobody bothers to look at evidence that doesn’t fit the narrative.”

Let’s challenge the narrative and look at some evidence! We’ve collected frequently heard media agency and marketer myths along with a just released August 2026 study from Advertiser Perceptions, the gold standard of advertiser/agency sentiment.

Using data from research firms Nielsen (via Katz and the Radio Advertising Bureau), LeadsRx, and Edison Research, we disprove eight of the biggest misperceptions brands hold about AM/FM radio.

Misperception #1: “No one listens to AM/FM radio.”

In August 2026, Advertiser Perceptions asked 302 media agencies and advertisers, “What percentage of Americans are reached by AM/FM radio in a typical week?” The perception? 43%! The reality? AM/FM radio’s weekly reach is 86%, double the perception!

Misperception #2: “No one under 35 listens to AM/FM radio anymore.”

The reality? Nielsen via Katz Radio Group reveals 18-34 is AM/FM radio’s largest listening demographic.

Misperception #3: “Audience shares to Pandora/Spotify are larger than AM/FM radio.”

In an August 2026 study, Advertiser Perceptions asked media agencies and marketers for the perceived audience shares of Spotify, Pandora, and AM/FM radio. The perceived audience shares of Pandora/Spotify (46%) are much greater than AM/FM radio (26%).

The reality? Edison’s “Share of Ear” reveals the actual audience share of AM/FM radio is 13X larger than ad-supported Spotify and 16X bigger than ad-supported Pandora.

When it comes to AM/FM radio, actual audience shares are 2.4 times larger than the perception (62% versus 26%). Conversely, agency and advertiser perception of Spotify’s audience share is five times larger than the actual audience.

Here is the ranker of U.S. ad-supported audio shares from the Q3 2026 Edison “Share of Ear”:

Misperception #4: “In the world of the connected car, the number one thing people do in their car is stream online radio on their smartphones.”

The reality? In the car, AM/FM radio is the “queen of the road” with a stunning 81% share of ad-supported audio, according to Edison’s “Share of Ear.”

Misperception #5: “Today’s optimal media plan: Put all of your money into connected TV, TV, and social/digital.”

An aggressive media plan with connected TV, digital, and linear TV generates a respectable monthly reach of 66%. A media plan is not complete without AM/FM radio. AM/FM radio always elevates the media plan.

According to Nielsen Media Impact via the RAB’s Audio 101, the media planning and optimization platform, shifting just 10% of the connected TV, digital, and linear TV media plan to AM/FM radio generates an impressive 20% increase in reach for the same investment.

Misperception #6: “The optimal audio buy is Spotify, Pandora, and podcasts.”

Here’s why you cannot check the box of an audio media plan that only contains digital audio. According to Edison’s “Share of Ear,” the combined ad-supported daily reach of Spotify, podcasts, and Pandora is only 32%, missing nearly 70% of America. AM/FM radio, in contrast, has a daily reach of 56%.

When you put AM/FM radio into a digital audio plan, reach soars. As the “Share of Ear” reach accumulation reveals below, the addition of AM/FM radio causes a massive lift in daily reach.

Misperception #7: “I would love to consider audio. However, there’s a total lack of ROI and sales lift and outcomes evidence for AM/FM radio.”

Nielsen recently surveyed CMOs to determine their perception of the effectiveness of a variety of media types. AM/FM radio ranked dead last.

The reality is a stark difference. According to Nielsen’s Global Media Mix Modeling Benchmarks, AM/FM radio is #2 in global return on investment, generating $2.00 for every dollar spent.

Domestically, perception is still different from reality. U.S. marketers place radio sales effect as dead last. In the U.S., Nielsen finds AM/FM radio generates $2.14 in return on investment for every dollar spent, ranking number four of twelve media.

Can AM/FM radio ads drive search and site traffic? The answer is a resounding yes!

Over the course of five years, the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group® commissioned attribution firm LeadsRx to measure the impact of radio advertising on site traffic. 17 attribution studies spanned a wide variety of categories.

The key takeaway?  On average, AM/FM radio generates an impressive 14% lift in site traffic across the 17 campaigns.

Misperception #8: “AM/FM radio cannot be measured.”

Anything that can be measured in TV and digital can be measured in audio!

The prevailing narratives are wrong. Know the realities:

• 86% of Americans are reached by AM/FM radio weekly, twice what advertisers perceive.
• Persons 18-34 is the largest AM/FM radio listening demographic. Over 63M persons 18-34 listen to AM/FM radio weekly.
• The audience share of AM/FM radio is 16X larger than ad-supported Pandora and 13X larger than ad-supported Spotify.
• AM/FM radio rules ad-supported audio in the car.​
• Shifting just 10% of the media plan to AM/FM radio generates a +20% increase in reach with the same spend.
• In a typical day, digital audio only reaches a third of America; AM/FM radio reaches over half of America.
• Nielsen reports AM/FM radio ROI ranks #2 globally and #4 in the U.S. On average, AM/FM radio generates a +14% lift in site traffic across 17 campaigns.​
• Anything that can measured in digital and TV can be measured in audio with Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group® measurement solutions.​

Click here to view a 10-minute video of the key findings.

Pierre Bouvard is Chief Insights Officer of the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group^®.

Contact the Insights team at CorpMarketing@westwoodone.com.