Numeris’ Radio Listening Winter 2024 report provides a fairly positive look at AM/FM radio listening in Canada. While radio reaches 84% of Canadians aged 12-plus every week, the highest reach of 90% is in the Montreal francophone market, followed by Edmonton at 86% and Calgary at 84%.

On-the-go listening is popular with adults 25 to 54, 65% of whom listened to AM/FM radio outside their homes during Winter 2024. The highest share of out-of-home tuning was during Drive and Daytime dayparts at 75% and 72%. Out-of-home tuning was highest in Calgary (68%), Edmonton (68%) and Vancouver (69%) among adults 25 to 54. Those numbers represent a drop in tuning from Winter 2023 – Calgary (71%), Edmonton (71%) and Vancouver (74%). In the Toronto market, tuning increased to 64% from 62% in 2023.

Most Canadian listeners tune into radio both in-home and OOH. Numeris found that about 21% of Vancouver and Montreal anglophone listeners tune in only OOH while 70% of Montreal francophone listeners tune in both in-home and OOH.

Numeris’ total meter panel reports an average of 5.1 hours of AM/FM listening in-home each week and 3.7 hours OOH. The Montreal anglophone market has the highest number of listening hours, 7.3 in-home and 4.1 OOH. Vancouver reports the fewest tuning hours with 3.4 in-home and 3.4 OOH, similar numbers to Calgary at 3.5 in-home and 3.4 OOH.

Live radio streaming in Winter 2024 retains a 10% share of total AM/FM listening for adults 18 to 34 and 12% for those aged 25 to 54. Anglophone Montreal and Vancouver are the top markets for live radio streaming at 15%, up 5% YoY, and 11% respectively.

AM/FM streaming includes listening on a PC, smartphone, tablet, or smart speaker. The Numeris radio meter service measures the internet stream separate from over the air signals, although the programming content is identical.