A popular metropolitan radio station catering to the 50s-plus audience recently changed format under a new owner. Golden hits from the 60s - 80s were replaced by sport.
That is one way to lose a loyal older audience, who were particularly cranky at losing the breakfast program and its three presenters. As it happened, a rival radio station saw an opportunity and successfully replaced its talk format with the brekky show crew.
Despite social media and web-based platforms, radio continues to draw a crowd, especially the older crowd who grew up on the hit parade, drive shows and even ABC.
A James Cook University music psychology researcher says music brings much comfort and joy to people.
Dr Amanda Krause studies how people experience music and the radio.
She is investigating how radio affects the lives of older listeners, and she wants older Australians to join her research into why they love listening to the radio. There's more about how you can help later in this article.
"Figures indicate that approximately 28 per cent of the 5.9 million Australians who listen to community radio are aged 55 years or older, and 29 per cent of the approximately 10.9 million Australians who listen to commercial radio are aged 55 years or older," Dr Krause said.
These statistics indicate older adults regularly listen to the radio but do not explain why they listen.
Dr Krause said research shows the arts support well-being in older age, with numerous therapeutic health benefits identified, including boosts to mood, self-esteem, and quality of life.
"Given Australia boasts the fourth highest life expectancy in the world and by 2057, close to one in four of the population will be over 65, it's important to consider what role the radio might play in supporting well-being in older age," she said.
Radio as a tool can reduce loneliness, isolation, and depression among older people.
Dr Krause is now working with collaborators to develop a resource to share her findings with community members, radio stations, and aged-care providers.
In previous research, Dr Krause found that the radio often accompanied older people in their daily lives as a social presence and a source of entertainment and information.
"This is a long-standing, easy-to-use, cost-effective tool … we can get social presence, we can get information, we can get entertainment all from the radio," she said.
"It is important to consider how we can look at radio to help with well-being."
Radio also offered a way of making older people feel socially connected and putting them in a positive mood.
Many older people formed surprisingly close bonds with radio presenters.
"I did not expect the depth of the bond that people would talk about having with these presenters," she said.
"The importance of the announcer was clear. This is a voice you develop a strong relationship with.
"So even if you are at home by yourself, you can participate in a conversation, and I want to think about how to build better programming to benefit older people and support companionship.
"It's a new way of thinking about it, it is not just something that's passively on in the background."
Krause says the radio is often built into our daily routines including those around sleep - "either 'it helps me fall asleep', or 'it's my alarm, it helps me wake up'", she said.
"There's a lot to be done about how this can be built into routines."
Krause says she would like to see the development of guidelines about how to use the radio as a tool for older people and those who care for them.
"I'm excited to take those findings and marry it with whether I can get radio programmers to consider the well-being of their listeners or if I can get them to consider it to help that process."
The researchers are looking for people over 65 years old to provide feedback by participating in an informal discussion on the topic for 60 minutes via Zoom with myself and a few others," said Dr Krause.
She said the results will be freely shared with radio stations and the community to optimise the listening experience of older people.
