Over many decades in Detroit, both the broadcasting and receiving equipment improved. In the mid-1920s this meant store-bought radios. In the 1930s this meant car radios. In the 1960s this meant transistor radios. In the 1970s this meant boom boxes. And, in the 1980s this meant Walkmen. But, despite these improvements, the fundamental technology of big towers sending a signal through the air to a radio receiver remained the same.
In 1994, there was a new way for Detroit consumers to listen to the radio. That was the year local stations across the country began streaming their signals over the internet and listeners could use their computers (later their smartphones and smart speakers) as receiving devices. No big antennas, no wires, and no actual radio needed.
In 2021, according to Nielsen, Detroit radio reaches more local consumers than any other advertising media option.
Neilsen finds, too, that 30.2% of all consumers who listen to a Detroit radio station over-the-air will, at some point during the month, also connect to a local station via the internet.
Local small business owners who advertise on Detroit radio to market the goods and services will often ask how the characteristics of streaming audiences compare to over-the-air audiences. The charts below answer those questions. The demographic categories used are those that are most requested by local businesses.
Good News: Most Detroit radio stations duplicate their over-the-air programming including advertising on their internet stream. This means when a business owner buys an advertising campaign, the commercials will be heard on any device the listener is using. This could be a car radio, a smartphone, a tablet, a desktop computer, or a smart speaker. In other words, a commercial will never be missed.