Under-35s Britons favouring internet over radio, finds poll

London - While the popularity of radio is on a rise among Britons over the age of 35, the gadget is loosing popularity among those in their teens and early 20s, a new poll has shown.

A study by media regulator Ofcom found that last year Britons listened to an average 22.5 hours of radio each week, which showed an increase of 24 minutes in 2010.

However, the poll results showed that the medium was less popular with younger people, with those aged 15 to 24 listening to only 17 hours a week, showing a fall of 22 per cent in ten years.

According to the Daily Mail, the poll said 25 to 34-year-olds tuned in for only 19.3 hours last year compared with 22.7 in 2001.

Ofcom said the reason was down to young people using music sharing websites such as Spotify and Soundcloud, and the increase in MP3 music players, such as iPods, which can hold thousands of songs on one device.

Radio accounted for 82 per cent of the time adults spent listening to audio material, compared with only 56 per cent for those in their late teens.

The success of Radio 4 could also be part of the reason that older listeners are still tuning in, while Apple's iTunes and video-sharing site YouTube are changing the way people listen to music, the research suggested.
The survey also showed that the boom in smartphones, 40 per cent of Britain and two thirds of 16-24-year-olds, also had an impact on the way young people listen to music.