Farm Broadcasting Maintains High Listenership with U.S. Farmers and Ranchers

Farm broadcasting has been a constant in the daily lives of farmers and ranchers for more than 75 years and continues to prove its worth in delivering live, local and current agricultural news today. Recent research conducted by the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB), found 88 percent of farmers in the U.S. listen to farm broadcasting three or more days per week. Farm radio continues to connect with the agricultural community daily, providing key knowledge on the day’s biggest ag news. 

“Farm broadcasting is woven into the fabric of American agriculture,” says Max Armstrong, 2017 NAFB President. “NAFB research points to the daily interaction with farm broadcasting to gather the latest updates on ag markets and ag weather from a trusted, credible source.”

Farmers were also asked about their daily news sources for farming, agricultural news, weather, and markets; farmers ranked radio as the leading source of daily ag news during 2017. Average ratings on the top daily news from 2017:  79 percent farm radio, 52 percent farm TV, 36 percent farm publications, and 19 percent internet sites. This continues to provide insight into the daily media habits of the agricultural industry, non-digital media sources continue to dominate the ag media landscape. 

“Farmers are on-the-go, and run their operations from outside a traditional office sitting,” says Max. “Farm broadcasting delivers news throughout the day, helping a producer make decisions for their operation today, and in the future.”

Additional research will be conducted later in November-December to wrap-up a full year Farm Radio Usage Study. For additional information on the NAFB Research, please contact Tom Brand at tom@nafb.com.

The National Association of Farm Broadcasting is a 501(c)(6) professional organization whose mission is to lead, promote and support growth in agricultural and rural broadcasting for the benefit of our members, audience, and industry. NAFB farm broadcasters are heard on more than 1,500 stations AM, FM, TV and satellite stations coast-to-coast every day of the week.