98 percent of Americans say it’s important that the radio is easy to find in their car
New York NY November 19, 2025 - Critical Mass Insights, a leading research firm, today released a new study finding that consumers overwhelmingly want access to AM/FM radio in their cars. The study found that 96 percent of Americans cite built-in AM/FM radio as important in a new car, and 98 percent say it’s important that radio is easy to find in cars.
Across all demographics, consumers ages 18 to 74 broadly agree that radio access is key: Even among those who don’t listen to either AM or FM routinely, about 9 in 10 say it’s important to have it available in situations where they need it. These include severe weather events, natural disasters, man-made tragedies and other emergencies where 97 percent of Americans say it’s important to have access to live radio.
“The bottom line here is just how much people value having easy access to both AM and FM radio in their cars. Consumers want radio for a variety of different reasons that are largely unique to local radio -- everything from discovering what new music matters to weather updates, the latest sports reports and local news and events,” said Elizabeth Falke, Senior Vice President of Research for Critical Mass Insights. “This is largely due to the special connection on-air talent forms with listeners, as 9 in 10 Americans say having radio personalities easily available in their cars is important because it helps them feel less lonely. Radio simply connects people, and consumers are looking for real, human connection more than ever, as we saw in our ‘The Human Consumer’ study earlier this year.”
The study also demonstrates that 97 percent of Americans think it’s important to have completely free entertainment options available in their cars. For consumers who rely solely on the radio for their audio needs, the absence of a radio in their car would force them to subscribe to alternative methods and raise their daily costs.
Overall, the research shows that losing built-in radio would greatly impact the purchasing decisions of a new vehicle with most consumers:
“This research is crucial for car manufacturers as we see that, immediately, half of consumers wouldn’t even look at buying a car without a radio. The ease and simplicity of radio is embedded in the lives of drivers consuming various forms of audio in their cars,” said Falke.
The research also showed that radio influences decisions about what to buy at the store and where to stop for lunch:
Consumer Methodology:
National survey of 1,022 monthly radio listeners ages 18-74
Critical Mass Insights, October 25-29, 2025