GfK : 95% of people in Peninsular Malaysia continues to listen to radio weekly

The Radio Audience Measurement survey conducted by GfK in the second half of 2023, in partnership with Commercial Radio Malaysia (CRM), revealed that there are 21,196,000 radio listeners every week.

The latest wave conducted over six weeks from September 10 to October 21 polled 6,000 unique individuals aged 10 years and above in Peninsular Malaysia. GfK utilized 4,500 paper diaries and 1,500 e-diaries to collect valuable insights on the strength and scope of radio listening across the country.

The key objective of this radio-focused survey is to understand the demographics of the listeners, including when and where they tune in, while providing a detailed breakdown of live radio listening for each quarter hour.

The highest radio listening location is in car with 15,402,000 weekly listeners, followed by 12,918,000 of home listeners. The workplace accounted for 2,147,000 of weekly listeners.

In this wave, the drive segment (Monday to Friday, 4pm to 8pm) attracted the highest number of listeners, commanding a weekly audience of 14,272,000 listeners, while the breakfast segment (Monday to Friday, 6am to 10am) trailed closely behind, reaching 14,179,000 listeners.

Out of the few key languages, Bahasa Malaysia language stations maintain their lead as the most popular, drawing an impressive 13,862,000 weekly listeners. They are trailed by the Chinese language stations with 4,472,000 listeners, followed by English language stations at 4,125,000 listeners and Tamil language stations at 1,735,000 listeners. English language stations registered an increase of 174,000 in weekly listeners when compared to the previous wave.

“The results emphatically illustrate that radio is far from being a fading medium; instead, it thrives in the digital age. Our increasing listener engagement and satisfaction rates are a clear indication of radio’s undiminished relevance. This success is largely due to our unwavering commitment to delivering high-quality, diverse content that resonates with our audience.

Radio’s adaptability, particularly through its integration with digital platforms, ensures that it continues to be a leading source of audio satisfaction. We at CRM are dedicated to continuing this legacy, reinforcing the fact that radio is not dead but is an evolving and vibrant part of Malaysia’s media landscape.” said Nazri Noran, President of Commercial Radio Malaysia.

GfK also conducted the Radio Insights study in September 2023 among 1,200 listeners aged 15 to 49, with the primary objective of offering further insights into the radio listening behaviour of Malaysians. The report revealed the key considerations of listeners when selecting a radio station to tune in to, with the top consideration being entertaining and music (78%), followed by language(66%), and informative content (58%).

In addition, enjoy the music played by radio (68%), get updates on current trend/news/issues (55%) and discovering new music (46%) are the top 3 reasons why listeners continue to choose radio compared to other audio options. 42 percent of respondents expressed a preference for radio over other audio alternatives due to their enjoyment of the topics discussed by radio announcers.

In an era where people are actively looking for updated information and news, it’s important to highlight that over two-thirds of respondents associate radio with providing relevant local news and content.

The study also confirms that radio exerts a positive influence on individuals’ emotional well-being. 77 percent of the respondents claimed that radio makes them feel less lonely, while 68 percent said radio makes them feel happier, and 63 percent agreed that radio keeps them connected with the community.

According to the Radio Insights study, more than half of radio listeners have at least one radio station’s application installed on their mobile phones, reinforcing the continued relevance of radio in this digital age.

“The results prove that radio remains a timeless companion, evolving to share our stories and experiences, resonating anywhere and anytime, while maintaining a constant presence in our daily lives.” concluded June Pang, Media Measurement Lead – Malaysia, GfK.