Paragon Media has released the third and final part of its study on new media’s effects on radio. The company collected 400 respondents between the ages of 15 and 64 to complete the study about new media usage and its effect on broadcast radio listening. In the study, Paragon focused on new media including satellite radio, internet radio, MP3 players, podcasting and personalized CDs.

The latest findings show that terrestrial radio is the #1 source for listening to music. When asked “What is your primary source for listening to music?,” 51 percent of respondents said radio. Purchased CDs were next with 30 percent of the vote, and radio also beat out television, personalized CDs, music downloads, satellite radio and Internet radio.

Need more proof? The National Association of Broadcasters cites two additional studies in a recent newsletter:

Michigan State University found that few are giving up their traditional radio habits. Seventy-nine percent of respondents said they’ve spent as much or more time listening to local radio compared to last year. And, 95% expect to listen as much or more local radio in the coming year. A whopping 88% think their local station provides valuable service to community. And half of those surveyed with satellite radio reported reception problems while driving.

Eastlan study found more than four out of five Americans have no interest in subscribing to satellite radio. The findings were nearly identical to a 2001 Eastlan study. Only five percent of Eastlan study respondents were satellite radio subscribers.

Okay everybody… go back inside. The excitement’s over, nothing to see here. Let’s get back to work.

In an article titled “Radio News Blues,” Tom Laskin –a staff writer for the “Isthmus:” — reports that “local reporting is dying in Madison (Wisconsin) and across the country.”

“Upwards of 1,000 of about 5,500 U. S. (radio) stations dumped their news operations between 1994 and 2001, according to Vernon Stone, professor emeritus at the University of Missouri School of Journalism.”

“While the number of news/talk stations continues to grow around the country (more than 1,300 stations now embrace the format), radio stations have taken a hatchet to their news staffs — staffing was cut by a whopping 57% between 1994 and 2001, according to the Radio-Television News Directors Association.”

Mary Quass spoke to this point in the interview I did with her this week:

“We stripped everything out of our music formats years ago. I believe we need to be able to look at our products and say what can we provide that our audience wants in a today kind of fashion? And if that means that we go back to doing news on the hour –but that news is relevant to the audience– then, you know what? That’s what we ought to be doing.”

Hmmm. I wonder if broadcasters will someday wistfully recall a time when listeners tuned to them for hourly newscasts.

It`s good news week,
Someone`s dropped a bomb somewhere,
Contaminating atmosphere
And blackening the sky,
It`s good news week,
Someones found a way to give,
The rotting dead a will to live,
Go on and never die.