NAB to FCC: Help Radio Against ‘Fierce and Formidable’ Big Tech

Why It Matters

The trend threatens the financial health of local broadcasters, eroding a historic source of community news and advertising while consolidating audience and revenue with a few tech giants.

Key Takeaways

• Radio’s share of audio listening fell to 32% in 2025.
• In‑car AM/FM now under 50% where Apple CarPlay or Android Auto used.
• Local radio ad revenue dropped 30% from 2007 to 2025.
• Projected 2029 digital ad spend: 76% local, 84% to Google, Meta.
• Current ownership caps block scale economies, especially hurting small‑market stations.

Pulse Analysis

The FCC’s biennial Competition in the Marketplace report has become a flashpoint for the radio industry, as the NAB’s data‑rich filing underscores a rapid audience migration away from traditional AM/FM. Edison Research shows a steep decline in overall audio share, while younger listeners (13‑34) now allocate just 19% of their listening time to broadcast radio. This shift is amplified in vehicles equipped with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, where streaming services dominate, eroding the long‑standing in‑car stronghold that once insulated broadcasters from digital disruption.

Advertising dollars are following the audience, with BIA figures revealing a 30.1% nominal drop in radio ad revenue between 2007 and 2025. Meanwhile, Borrell projects that by 2029, 76% of local advertising spend will be digital, and an overwhelming 84% of that will funnel to a handful of tech behemoths such as Google and Meta. The concentration of digital ad spend reduces the fiscal lifeline for local stations, limiting their ability to fund newsrooms, community outreach, and technological upgrades, and raising concerns about media diversity and localism.

Policy levers highlighted by the NAB include revisiting ownership caps that currently block consolidation benefits, especially in small markets where fixed costs are highest. Accelerating the ATSC 3.0 transition could also provide broadcasters with new revenue streams and enhanced data capabilities, but FCC approval timelines lag behind private wireless carriers. Addressing these regulatory bottlenecks would help level the playing field, allowing broadcasters to compete for both audience attention and digital advertising revenue in an ecosystem increasingly dominated by big tech.