KFI-AM 640 morning host Bill Handel offered a stark assessment of audience and revenue trends. Both have decreased in recent years, he shared.
What We Know: Bill Handel recently shared a candid view of how his audience has changed over the past decade. During an apperance on the Archer & Feldman podcast, he said his weekly cume has dropped significantly compared to previous years. However, Handel also acknowledged the industry’s belief that many former over-the-air listeners now consume his program through streaming platforms and podcasts. Even so, he questioned whether those audiences receive the same level of measurement as traditional radio. His comments also extended beyond audience trends, pointing to a steep decline in revenue despite continued digital distribution.
What They Said: “Maybe five or eight years ago, over the course of a week, I had 1.1 million listeners tune in to the morning show. We are going to be lucky to get past 450,000. We lost 60-65% of the audience. Now I am told that they have all gone on to streaming and podcasting. They podcast our show, which they put up with new commercials inserted and edited down. So you get 45 minutes instead of an hour and a half of the show. But we’re told that the listeners have moved over there and we have just as many listeners. Well, I don’t know because they’re really not measured. And if you look at revenue, revenue has just collapsed. It is 25-40% of what it was 10 years ago.” -Bill Handel
What Remains Unclear: Handel didn’t provide digital listening totals or revenue data that could verify whether streaming offsets broadcast declines.
What It Means: Handel’s comments reflect a broader debate across radio. Many broadcasters believe audiences have shifted to digital platforms, yet proving that migration remains difficult. As a result, measurement challenges continue to affect advertising conversations and revenue expectations. His remarks also underscore a key concern for news/talk operators: growing digital consumption doesn’t automatically replace the financial value once generated by large terrestrial radio audiences.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.