Radio in Russia

Radio advertising

Main article: Radio advertising

Chronicle

2024

Most popular radio stations

As of the end of 2024, the most popular radio station in Russia was Avtoradio, owned by the Gazprom-Media holding. This station was ahead of its main competitors - Road Radio and Europe Plus, which are part of the European Media Group. Such data in mid-February 2025 are cited by Mediascope (the audience of listeners over 12 years old is taken into consideration).

In the second half of 2024, 7.45 million Russians listened to Avtoradio every day, or 11.7% of the total audience over the age of 12, weekly - 19.53 million people (30.6%). At the same time, a year earlier, Avtoradio's daily coverage was higher and amounted to 7.9 million people.

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Фото: Freepik

The study says that in general, the popularity of the largest Russian radio stations in 2024 decreased. So, at Road Radio, which is in second place in the ranking, the daily audience decreased from 8 million listeners in the second half of 2023 to 7.3 million in the second half of 2024. Europe Plus, which dropped from second to third in a year, reduced coverage from 7.9 million per day to 7.3 million.

In fourth place in the list of the largest radio stations in Russia by audience is Russian Radio (Russian Media Group), whose coverage decreased from 6.8 million to 6.6 million. Retro FM (European Media Group) is in fifth position with 6.3 million listeners against 6.6 million a year earlier. The top ten also included Radio Dacha (5.3 million listeners), Vesti FM (4.7 million), Radio Chanson (4.4 million), Mayak (3.7 million) and Humor FM (3.8 million).

According to Mediascope, the total daily coverage of the ten largest radio stations in Russia at the end of 2024 was about 32.6 million people. For comparison, a year earlier, the figure was estimated at 34 million listeners.^[1]

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Russian radio stations and TV channels have switched to domestic software by 90%. This was announced in May 2024 by the Director General of the National Association of Alexander Shirokikh Broadcasters. Read more here.

2023

Top 20 largest advertisers in Russia on radio named

At the end of 2023, the budgets of radio advertising in Russia reached 17.62 billion rubles. This is 20.3% more than in the previous year, when the costs in this area amounted to about 14.65 billion rubles. Such data are reflected in the AdIndex study, the results of which TAdviser got acquainted with in mid-September 2024.

The review examined the budgets for network radio advertising, as well as local outputs in Moscow and St. Petersburg based on Mediascope data. It is noted that in general, the Russian radio industry managed to cope with the difficulties caused by the formed geopolitical situation. The costs of radio advertising in 2023 were comparable to the results for 2019, but at the same time do not reach the values ​ ​ of 2017-2018, when the indicator was at around 21 billion rubles. It is emphasized that the radio segment was initially more resistant to the challenges of 2022 due to the advertising situation in the industry. Losses from the departure of automotive brands, which used to be the main suppliers of budgets, in 2022 were compensated by budgets from the real estate, finance and pharmaceutical sectors.

The study says that in 2023, among advertisers on the radio, the leading position was taken, "Sber" actively increasing budgets. In second place is the Chinese automotive company, Chery Automobile which increased investments in 2023 by almost three times. The developer closes the top three, FGC which has slightly reduced advertising costs on the radio. The top 20 also included:

4. Alfa-Bank;

5. Central Bank of the Russian Federation;

6. VTB;

7. TCS Group Holding;

8. National Health Centre;

9. MTS;

10. Heel Rus;

11. Tape;

12. Pioneer;

13. Tele2;

14. Havale Motor Rus;

15. Rostelecom;

16. Thunder;

17. LSR;

18. MIC;

19. Yandex;

20. Muz-TV.^[2]

How hackers hack into TV and radio channels in Russia

On the morning of February 28, 2023, the broadcast of a number of Russian TV channels and radio stations interrupted a fake message about air alarm and a request to proceed to cover. Profile experts told Kommersant FM about how hackers hack into TV and radio channels. Read more here

2022: Change of leader in terms of daily coverage

On February 10, 2023, it became known about the change of leadership in the Russian market of radio stations in terms of daily and weekly coverage. Avtoradio came out on top, ahead of Europe Plus, according to Mediascope data.

By the end of 2022, Avtoradio was listened to daily by 8.6 Russians or 13.5% of the total audience over the age of 12, with a weekly coverage of an average of 21.4 million people (33.6%).

Similar indicators of "Europe Plus" are 8 million 605 thousand people and 13.5% in daily coverage, 19 million 941 thousand people (31.2%) in weekly coverage.

In earlier periods, "Europe Plus" was in first place in terms of indicators. So, in July-December 2021, the station's daily coverage was 9.2 million (14.4%), and the Autoradio indicator was lower - 8.6 million (12.6%).

The first place is the result of the work of the entire team of our holding. This year, our flagship radio station is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Its broadcast covers all regions of Russia, and millions of listeners have access to our current programs, favorite music and bright radio shows - the morning drive show "Let's Go" and the evening show "Murzilki Live," said the general director of GPM Radio (this federal includes Avtoradio Vadim Tereshchuk.

The top 5 Russian radio stations by audience by the end of 2022 look like this:

• "Autoradio";
• "Europe Plus";
• "Road Radio";
• "Russian Radio";
• "Retro FM."^[3]

Russians began to listen to radio more in 2022. The audience of news programs has become significantly larger, but entertainment programs are not losing popularity, Dmitry Mednikov, managing director of the Russian Media Group, told TASS in December 2022.

Now on the radio there is not so much a shift towards listening to information programs as in general an increase in content consumption. News programs really have more time on the air, more audience, but this is not due to the departure of listeners from entertainment programs - this is an increase in the new audience. In principle, media inventory began to be consumed more actively this year, "he said.

2020: A single online radio player launched in Russia

On December 1, 2020, it became known about the launch of a single online radio player in Russia. 23 radio stations are available in it, including "Road Radio," "Europe Plus," "Radio Dacha," "Humor FM," etc. Read more here.

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