Most popular radio stations in Atlanta 2020

In October 2020, the leading radio station in Atlanta in the United States was WSB-AM (branded as 95.5 WSB) with a rating of 11.0, i.e. 11.0 percent of those listening to the radio in Atlanta listened to WSB-AM for at least five minutes in each 15-minute period. Other stations which are regularly among the top ten in Atlanta include news/talk formats WALR-FM and WVEE-FM.

Radio and news

Since 2015, the number of news and talk stations in the United States has grown whilst others have decreased, including sports, Black gospel and adult standards formats. Several news stations were also among the leading radio stations in the U.S. ranked by revenue, most of which were based in New York or Los Angeles.

By its very nature, news is less prone to fluctuation in terms of its audience – whilst consumers have phases of exploring or listening to different music genres, the desire to keep informed and up to date with current affairs and local events tends not to be influenced by trends or personal preference. In fact, radio news broadcasting increased between 2017 and 2018, and some stations even increased the amount of news broadcasts in that time.

However, radio news is changing. A 2018 study found that more than seven percent of local radio stations and newsrooms use drones for news in the U.S., with a further 6.4 percent considering doing so and others leasing drones when needed. Whilst the majority of stations were not involved with drones, the willingness among some to explore drone usage is yet another example of traditional media outlets exploring how they can adapt to trends and take advantage of new possibilities, which in such a competitive industry is crucial.