Resurging Radio and the Industry

Abstract

Radio enters the Sixties with confidence. It has weathered a decade of conflict, confusion and drastic charge, where the men, you might say, were separated from the boys. In 1959, Radio, after shaking off the effects of a recession hangover in the first quarter of the year, made impressive gains, showed a dollar volume gain of about 7% over 1958. This is as good as the growth average for all advertising media, but the signs are strong that Radio will now grow faster than average. And now, a look to the future. Here is the way Radio will shape up in 1970. By 1970, there will be another 1,000 AM stations authorized, operating mainly in cities of 50,000 or less, although every one of the top markets can count on at least one new Radio station and quite possibly two. There will be 80 million bedroom sets, 55 million kitchen radios, 80 million cars radio-equipped, 25 million in pockets and purses, listening posts everywhere. I predict a total of over 250 million radio sets in operating order, an annual set sale of 25 million sets. Today, relatively few stations are now held by companies with listed securities. Literally hundreds will be so owned by 1970.