Despite the non-stop doom-and-gloom headlines in some parts of the medium about radio, I’ve always preferred the optimistic route. That doesn’t mean I try to be ignorant of the business realities of the moment, but if we buy into our own doom-and-gloom narrative, then what do we expect advertisers and other business partners to do?
Well, we got some encouraging news this week, when new Pew Research data showed that more than half of American adults still turn to AM/FM for local news.
While there was a decline over seven years, it was so small it separates broadcast radio from every other legacy platform measured.
Radio Still Holds Its Ground
Radio stations ranked second among sources of local news in 2025, with 52% of participants saying they get local news from radio at least sometimes. That figure is down just four percentage points from 56% in 2018. About two-thirds of Americans (65%) say they at least sometimes get news from their local TV news station, down slightly from 70% in 2018, though this remains one of the most popular sources of local news.
Americans’ use of local newspapers is decreasing, too — 36% of U.S. adults say they get news from their local daily paper at least sometimes in 2025, compared with 43% in 2018.
So, radio, despite newsrooms shrinking and local cuts in many (most?) markets, is still used by the majority of Americans for their local news, is solidly in the No. 2 position, and saw the smallest decline of any traditional media platform over the last eight years.
I’m not saying this removes any concerns that persist, but it is also a clear sign that the narrative of radio as dead simply isn’t grounded in reality.
The Digital Opportunity for Radio
Now, the growth, as you can imagine, has been on the digital side. According to Pew Research, online-only news sources more than doubled from 15% to 42%.
Well, what if I told you there was a way for radio to use its already large reach to promote and learn how to monetize on other platforms? While many stations already do this, this research clearly shows that a radio-and-digital combination can be an incredibly effective news operation in local communities across the country.
And as for radio stations now hosting news on digital platforms, there are even more positives: News websites and apps climbed from 23% in 2018 to 28% in 2025. Once again, are stations using their apps to drive appointment listening, gather emails, and monetize these opportunities?
The Local News Engagement Challenge
I don’t want to end with bad news, but there is some news that will be disappointing for many in local news departments to learn — the share of Americans who follow local news very closely fell from 37% in 2016 to 21% in 2025.
Part of me wonders if this is a chicken-or-egg conversation. Is local news no longer as important to Americans because the options and quality of local journalism aren’t what they were a generation ago, due to cuts? Or do people truly care less in an online-focused world about what’s happening in their local communities, with the hyper-focus on national news and outrage of the day? Are our attention spans only interested in consuming the latest TikTok clip about Republicans or Democrats in Washington, D.C.?
What I see is an online world driven more by the national news cycle than by the local one. The cuts have been deeper at the local level than at the national level, so Americans have had fewer opportunities to consume their local news in the digital space. They’re inundated with hot national political takes on the regular, but their feeds aren’t nearly as filled with local content. So inherently, they think they care less.
It’s our job to make them care more. And with a radio-and-digital combination, we can do just that.
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Pete Mundo is a weekly columnist for Barrett Media, and the Vice President of News/Talk for Cumulus Media, while also hosting “Mundo in the Morning” and programming KCMO Talk Radio in Kansas City. Previously, he was a fill-in host nationally on FOX News Radio and CBS Sports Radio, while anchoring for WFAN, WCBS News Radio 880, and Bloomberg Radio. He’s also the owner of the Big 12-focused digital media outlet Heartland College Sports. To interact, find him on X @PeteMundo.
