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Radio is awesome!
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this post was submitted on 28 May 2025
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Question: Do radio broadcasters have any indication/numbers on how many are listening in while on FM/AM?
Not from broadcasting, but they can pay a ratings company like Nielsen to research certain samples of the population.
There's also a method that was used briefly in billboards to check what radios were tuned to as cars drove by. https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/High-tech-billboards-tune-in-to-drivers-tastes-2744204.php
My understanding was it mostly picked up people listening to their aux to radio adapters though.
Only in internet radio.
I have a theory that the reason why FM radio stations often hold contests is so that they can gauge how many people are listening. By counting the number of entries and calculating an estimate of what percentage of radio listeners enter their contests, you can get a rough estimate of how many people are tuning in.
Kind of like how Nielsen operates. Send out a survey to a percentage of the American population, and from their answers you can figure out how many people watch a certain show.