There’s good news, but also a few cautionary tales, from the results of Jacobs Media’s 2026 Public Radio Techsurvey, which finds nearly three-quarters (72%) of core listeners have increased their support of public radio due to the political climate, with 42% having upped their annual donation this past year.
“Since the defunding, the core audience has [public radio’s] back, they are incredibly supportive,” Jacobs Media owner Fred Jacobs said during a webinar reviewing the data, which shows that even though listeners say they are impacted by the economy, they continue to support their public station.
“This is truly a great sign [that] this is going to be a good fundraising year, [and] there’s every possibility that next year will be pretty solid as well.”
The survey of more than 17,000 respondents from 49 U.S. public stations during June and July 2026 shows that since 2013, public radio listening has moved from 83% broadcast vs. 16% digital to this year’s 54% broadcast vs. 43% digital, with Jacobs forecasting “those two lines are going to cross [eventually].” As a result, mobile apps, smart-TV access, metadata, video podcasts and YouTube were identified as potential growth and additional fundraising opportunities for public stations.
Another of the study’s key takeaways is the importance of local focus, with 74% agreeing that local gives stations an edge in the market, although 46% say they want their station to have greater visibility in the community. “We could be working harder in the local areas, from a reality standpoint,” Jacobs says.
PRTS also finds that the news cycle continues to play a role in perceptions and listening patterns, but disruption by digital media is a growing factor, with one in 10 respondents reporting listening to less public radio in the last year due to the current political climate, as well as to more non-radio sources available and more in-car listening options. Although 52% of respondents say they listen to AM/FM radio in the car vs. 44% to other audio, those owning connected cars report the listening balance as 39% AM/FM vs. 59% other audio.
Jacobs points out that the appeal of personalities on public radio significantly lags other attributes, as just 40% of respondents say it’s why they listen to their public station, vs. 75% saying it’s for trustworthy and objective programming. “Personalities are so important” to radio, Jacobs notes, saying that making them more important on public radio is “both a challenge and an opportunity.”
One other key finding, pertaining to the upcoming midterm elections, shows that 71% of public radio listeners say they’re following the elections “very closely,” rivaling the interest of the 2020 and 2024 Presidential elections and far surpassing the 64% in the 2022 midterms.
