The Rural Radio Network saw significant growth across its digital platforms in 2025, highlighting how farm broadcasters are expanding their reach beyond traditional radio.
Bryce Doeschot, operations manager for the Rural Radio Network, says the organization’s digital content reached nearly 40 million views and impressions across social and video platforms last year.
“Radio is still the backbone of what we do at Rural Radio Network, but digital platforms allow us to extend those stories even further,” Doeschot said.
The Rural Radio Network, owned by the Nebraska Rural Radio Association, operates 14 stations delivering agricultural news, market information and rural programming across Nebraska and surrounding states. While radio remains the foundation of the network’s work, Doeschot says farmers and ranchers are increasingly consuming ag content through multiple digital channels.
“When you serve a very specific agriculture audience well, engagement tends to follow,” he says.
The network experienced strong growth across several digital platforms in 2025. Website page views increased nearly 80 percent, while podcasts generated several hundred thousand plays throughout the year. Much of the overall digital reach came from social media, where short-form video and platform-specific content have become increasingly important.
“We saw millions of views across social media platforms,” Doeschot says. “Facebook in particular really rewarded short-form video content last year, and that helped us expand our reach significantly.”
Doeschot says one key to the network’s strategy is thinking about digital content while reporting stories for radio. Broadcasters often capture additional video and audio clips while covering events, so the content can be shared across platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
“It’s really an expansion of what we’ve done in the past,” he says. “We’re still creating the same trusted agricultural content, but we’re also thinking about how that content can live on digital platforms.”
Consistency is also a major factor in audience engagement. Many of the network’s podcasts and digital products are released at the same time each day, so listeners know when to expect new content.
“Our audience knows they can come back to us every day for that information,” Doeschot said.
Looking ahead, the Rural Radio Network plans to continue expanding its digital presence by investing more in video storytelling and podcast production while maintaining its strong radio foundation.
“Our mission has always been to serve farmers and ranchers,” Doeschot says. “The platforms may change, but delivering trusted agricultural information will always stay at the center of what we do.”
