Getting young adults tuned in to public radio: A survey of uses, perceptions, content and programming

Today's young adults are using many different mobile devices and media sources for entertainment and information. This puts traditional media at a disadvantage. For public radio, reaching out to young adults can be a challenge in a digital age. This study examined how young adults, between the ages of 18 and 25, are using radio today as well as perceptions they may have about public radio. Under the theoretical framework of the Uses and Gratifications Theory, this study measured how often the participants listened to traditional radio, what they preferred to listen to, and what their perceptions were about public radio. The study found a significant number of college students are not listening to traditional radio. Those who do listen to traditional radio may not know the difference between commercial radio and public radio, or community radio stations. Suggestions are made at the end of the study to foster future research in this topic.