Radio has maintained its place as a valuable medium in China with huge numbers of the population still turning to the wireless as their first choice for getting information.
A one-month national survey sponsored by the China Mainland Marketing Research Company found that although television and newspapers occupy the top spots for news delivery, radio is still ahead of rival media such as the Internet and magazines.
The survey, which began in mid-July, covered 30 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities around the country with a population of 1.199 billion aged more than four years old.
During the month, 490 million people listened to the radio, accounting for 40.9 percent of those surveyed.
And 75 million people made radio their first choice when they needed to access information. But it was not all good news for radio bosses as audiences are still in decline.
Yang Bo, head of China National Radio, said further reform is a must to improve radio programs and attract a wider audience. He said radio has the advantage of being able to be heard with few restrictions.
According to the survey, the population who listen to the radio when driving cars or taking taxis reached 15.4 percent of the total population, which means 80 million people each month.
This number is expected to increase as more people buy their own cars.
(China Daily January 4, 2002)
