Survey reveals hidden radio audience

Are you one of the seven million Australians tuning in to community radio each month?

Radio stations such as the university's Radio Adelaide 101.5FM have collectively gathered a large audience nationwide, according to new research.

A survey conducted by McNair Ingenuity Research has found that more than seven million Australians - or 45% of people aged over 15 - listen to community radio every month.

In Adelaide, 31% of the population - 286,000 people - listen to community radio each week and they listen for an average of 8.5 hours each week.

Nationally, more than 3.7 million tune in weekly and 685,000 listen exclusively to community radio.

Described as the most comprehensive survey ever conducted in community radio's 30-year history, the survey was funded by the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts through the Community Broadcasting Foundation (CBF).

CBF Board Member and Station Manager of Radio Adelaide Ms Deborah Welch hailed the figures as confirmation of the growing strength and influence the community broadcasting sector has across Australia.

"More than half of community radio listeners cited the diversity in programming and specialist music or information programs as their main reasons for tuning in," said Ms Welch.

"This proves that we are meeting the needs of people who feel dissatisfied by what the mainstream and commercial media is serving them," she said. They also cited 'local information and local news', 'support of Australian artists and musicians' and 'a non-commercial sound' as key reasons for listening.

The community radio sector has trebled in size since the early 1990s and now, with 345 long-term licensed stations, provides more individual radio services throughout Australia than either the commercial or national radio sectors.

The survey also confirmed the strength of community radio in rural and regional areas, where more than 70% of community radio stations are located. It showed that 1.4 million rural and regional Australians listen to community radio every week.

"With the commercial and national sectors using greater networking of programs, community radio stations are increasingly the voice of their local communities," said Ms Welch.

Community broadcasting listenership is not specifically collected in the radio industry's regular audience research, conducted by Neilsen Media Research.

Ms Welch said the figures also focused attention on the sector's need for more government funding.

Despite its large audience reach, the not-for-profit, volunteer-driven community radio sector operates on a shoestring budget, with stations surviving on small business sponsorship, listener subscriptions and donations, grants and fundraising initiatives.

On average only 8% of station income comes from recurrent Australian Government grants via the CBF. Since the last significant increase in sector funding in 1996/97, the average level of government funding support available per station has declined in real terms by 43%, Ms Welch said.

"A commitment to media diversity must include realistic funding support for the 20,000 plus volunteers who create community radio for their communities," said Ms Welch.