How do radio stations know that you’re listening to them? Is there a signal sent back somehow?

Question

How do radio stations know that you’re listening to them? Is there a signal sent back somehow?

In: 2349

Answer 1

They can track how many people are listening via their website, and to some extent even who’s listening if they use tracking cookies, but they don’t have any way to tell how many people are actually listening on radios. There are companies (Nielson being the biggest one) that send out surveys to find out people’s radio listening and TV watching habits. That is the data the radio stations use to determine who’s listening to them.

And, of course, they assume that if you can hear them that you’re listening.