CRB, Inc. and Edison Media Research Collaborate Again on America's Largest Study of Country P1s at CRS-37

Feb 20, 2006 CRB, Inc. and Edison Media Research Collaborate Again on America's Largest Study of Country P1s at CRS-37

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (February 20, 2006) - This year's Country Radio Seminar® Research Study featured the largest sample of Country P1's ever surveyed with over 30,000 country fans across the U.S.‹nearly three times the number of respondents as last year¹s study. The study looked at attitudes of country radio partisans on everything from the state of current country product and radio¹s spot loads to the impact of "American Idol" and the sales prospects of the upcoming Dixie Chicks album. Edison Media Research found that Country listeners, who have historically been less digitally-minded than their counterparts in other formats, have shown a lot more interest in new technology over the last year, according to America¹s largest-ever study of country "P1" listeners. Among the most significant findings was the dramatically increased usage of iPods and the Internet to sample and discover Country music. Twenty-eight percent of the sample reported iPod usage, a significant increase from last year's figure of just 15%. Among those who indicated they were listening less to Country radio, the number one reason was time spent with iPods or Internet music sources. Additionally, the percentage of respondents who turn to the Internet to hear music unavailable on the radio rose from 28% to 33%, and the percentage turning to iPods or downloadable music doubled from 8% to 16%. "Clearly, the time is now for Country radio and Country music to have a unified, integrated strategy for streaming, music downloads and podcasting," noted Edison Vice President Tom Webster. "Last year, the most common reason why people were spending less time with Country radio was that they had less time in their busy lives. This year, they apparently found the time to listen to their iPods, so Country must aggressively compete between the headphones." Other findings include the following: … Over 5% of the sample indicated that they were brand new to country … Listeners are equally as passionate about today's artists as they are the stars of the past 15 years … 58% of listeners are aware of radio's effort to reduce spot loads … 76% of all respondents watched last November's CMA Awards on TV … Fewer listeners are "on the fence" about satellite radio as awareness climbs to 88% … 49% often watch cable TV channels CMT or GAC … 57% think country music makes a positive contribution to American life The study was conducted over the Internet in January and February of 2006 and surveyed Adults ages 12-64. Respondents were drawn from listener databases of 18 Country stations across the US, and was geographically balanced and demographically weighted to reflect the national country audience. Edison Media Research conducts survey research and provides strategic information to radio stations, television stations, newspapers, cable networks, record labels, Internet companies and other media organizations.