Nielsen Says Urban Radio Listenership is Growing

Based on data from the company’s 48 PPM-measured markets, Nielsen is reporting that the urban contemporary format has grown dramatically over the past four years. At the Client Conference taking place December 3rd – 4th,  Nielsen Audio says it will present information on the urban audience during the Urban PD Clinic.

Nielsen states this year and last “have been the two best years ever for urban contemporary…just this fall, the format posted its best month to date for share of listening audience among persons aged 6 and up, 18-34 and 25-54.”

In the past 4 years, Urban contemporary listenership in the 25-34 demographic has grown 35%.  Nielsen concludes, “This format’s rising popularity sets up an interesting scenario for other formats in the urban radio landscape, which includes both urban AC – the most listened-to format among black consumers – and classic hip hop…the urban radio landscape now has even more formats competing for the same groups of listeners all across the country.”