The Future of Radio (Part IV): How the pandemic changed listening habits

By Steve Faguy FOR A MEDIA SECTOR whose consumption comes predominantly from commuters in their cars, what happens when everyone works from home and there is no more commuting? The radio business found out in the past year. The covid-19 pandemic, as we outlined last week, was very bad for radio advertising as local economies shut down for months and people simply stayed home, rarely turning on that reliable car radio in the morning. "When Covid first hit, radio tuning dropped by 30% in Canada," said Troy Reeb, executive vice president broadcast networks at Corus Entertainment. But rather than lose...