MUMBAI: Due to increase in technology radio wasn’t quite listened to for a couple of years before in top six metros of the country but studies have shown that there has been an increase in listening to radio during the lockdown. It has increased by 23% to 2.36 hours every day during the lockdown, second only to television, says the study commissioned by Association of Radio Operators for India.

According to the study done by AZ Research PPL, 82% people have been tuning in to radio during the lockdown, with FM channels emerging as the second most credible source of information for the masses.

"Radio has a credibility score of 6.27, second only to the internet which is at 6.44 and TV at 5.74", says the study which was done in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Pune and Hyderabad across a sample size of 3,300 people.

It is said that the radio industry witnesses a listenership of 51 million people, which is nearly as much as television’s reach of 56 million and social media’s reach of 57 million, says the research. Radio’s at-home listenership has increased by 22% and has grown from 64% to 86%.

"Radio has always been a constant companion to everyone, both in good and tough times. It is one medium that has a pan-India reach right from the grassroots level to the metros," said Association of Radio Operators for India.

“It is very encouraging to note that radio is evolving as one of the most preferred and most credible sources of infotainment. We are now almost catching up on TV in terms of audience, the rise of 23% in total time spent per person on the radio is phenomenal. We are grateful to all our listeners and look forward to help evolve this media into greater heights," said Anuradha Prasad, president of the Association of Radio Operators for India.

Commenting on the findings, Harshad Jain, CEO – radio and entertainment, HT Media Ltd and Next Mediaworks Ltd, said: “As the COVID-19 pandemic takes over the world, the role of entertainment mediums become all the more crucial. Radio being a critical medium has the dual responsibility of not only entertaining the listeners but also ensuring that correct and genuine information reaches the country’s citizens. At a time like this, the power and effectiveness of our medium increase manifold. People are now tuning in to the radio sets more than ever for their daily entertainment needs and also to stay updated with credible information. With the entire country under lockdown, the listenership has shifted to in-home listening. The entire radio industry stands together in these tough times to successfully win the fight against coronavirus”.