Christian Radio Reacts to Techsurvey 2026

The Jacobs Media Techsurvey 2026 released last week included a lot of data about radio that has the industry talking.  

When asked why they listen to radio, respondents ranked the following as their top reasons:

• 66% cited the ease of listening in the car
• 62% said it’s free
• 60% tune in specifically for the DJs, hosts, and shows

These factors ranked higher than “plays my favorite music and artists” (53%), and even surpassed “it’s a habit” (58%). Local information came in much lower at 40%.

The data makes one thing clear: listeners aren’t just tolerating the personalities on the radio — they’re actively choosing to listen because of them. For many, that human connection is the whole ballgame.

HisAir reached out to some top programmers to get their take on this data and how it applies to Christian Radio.

Dave Cruse PD THE JOY FM/Tampa – I think that, regardless of format, personalities are what bring people to radio. When I was in High School it was the Ross and Wilson Show that made me set an alarm in the summertime so I wouldn’t miss something. Later is was Randy Rice and Jim Nasium that made me tune in to WFMF as opposed the Z98. Same music on both stations but Randy and Nas were funnier, more entertaining. It was what they were doing between the songs that kept me from turning the dial. Fortunately for most of my career, I’ve been allowed to do the kind of personality driven radio I fell in love with. It’s morphed and adapted over the years, but it’s still about creating the kind of show that pulls people in and makes them want to listen, because if they don’t they’ll miss something. I think it’s just as important in Christian radio as it is in mainstream … maybe even more so. We get to entertain, inform and encourage every morning. When we share our lives and allow the audience to relate to us as people, we form a connection. We also share a common faith and when we lean in to that faith, the connection goes deeper. Because I’ve lived my life in front of my listeners, they walked with me through my granddaughter’s adoption, my wife’s battle with cancer and my own journey of grief. You can’t get that from a streaming service or a playlist or a generic radio show that keeps the music rolling.

Connection matters and Personalities connect. And, if I might get mercenary for a second, many Christian radio stations are listener supported. I believe that makes personalities that can connect to an audience and deliver a message even more important. Are we fostering that in young talent? I hope so. We are trying to at The JOY FM. The battle we fight is that kids coming out of college with communication degrees tend to be more interested in becoming the next big podcaster or social media influencer. We need to foster young personalities but in this age of radio that also means expanding the role beyond the radio show. It means connecting on air and online. If radio is going to survive in this age of streaming, podcasts, audiobooks, etc., then personalities that can connect are going to be the key.

Glenn Goodwin PD WBCL/Ft Wayne –  I would say that would be very accurate with our listeners. The music is available in other places, but the relationships that we as Air Staff are building with the listeners is unique and personal.

We also are a very heavy listener interactive station with our 3 main shows, which are all live from 6am – 6pm, which is also becoming more rare in the industry. We invest in having live air staff, and that is extremely important to our station, and to our listeners. So, I would say yes to this from the Tech survey…. 60% or possibly more.

Lisa Williams Talent Coach/Northwestern Media – My whole job as the Network Talent Coach is based on this being true! At Northwestern, we’re cultivating connection with our wonderful, invisible, listening friend through vulnerability, storytelling, and emotional honesty. Simultaneously, we’re cultivating our love of God, others, and ourselves, hoping that the byproduct of a fully-alive walk with Christ will cause ripples of hunger for Jesus. When I am the listener, there is great comfort in knowing my friends are waiting for me in the morning or whenever I listen, knowing their stories, laughing with them, crying with them, feeling their compassion and care.

Christian radio is wildly influential in spiritual development, a sense of belonging, and connection to God through these radio relationships. Inside a flood of unending content, there has never been a more important time for us to be real, human, connected, and on fire for Jesus. Yes, please study radio skills and become great at the art of radio. Yes, do your research and play the best songs. Then layer that with connection, vulnerability, storytelling, emotional honesty, and a relentless focus on our listener’s life, heart, and needs. We can create experiences and connection that Spotify just can’t.

Brian Wright Wright Media Group – WMG has conducted focus group studies for many years, and the findings have been remarkably consistent and conclusive. There is clear, compelling evidence that radio listeners are far more drawn to stations featuring engaging, personality-driven content from well-liked hosts than to any other form of radio. While this is not exclusive to the Christian format, the impact is especially pronounced within that space.

Our research has also included listeners who have migrated away from broadcast radio. Notably, more than 70% indicated they would return to terrestrial radio if it offered a strong, personality-driven experience. This should be the type of information that should be more prominent in our news cycles. These results became even more definitive after participants were exposed to examples of this style of programming. You could see their posture change and their eyes light up when they heard this type of programming.

For years, it has been said that personalities are the “mortar” holding together the “bricks” of a radio station, implying that other elements like music, promotions, imaging carry the primary weight of the radio station. Our research challenges that assumption to the highest degree. The reality is that personalities are not the mortar, they ARE the bricks. They are the foundation.

Bill Bumpas PD KVNE/Tyler – The ingredients needed for our format are great songs and our hosts connecting with listeners. CCM stations are doing it better than any other format, in my opinion.

We’re in a small market, so it isn’t easy getting people to move to our little community. So when we look for new talent, We are not necessarily looking for hosts with radio experience, we are looking for people who are connected to our community and are great communicators. The best communicators know how to be vulnerable and tell great stories.  These are exciting times for Christian radio!