Q1 2024 Media Outlook feat. iHeart

Q&A with: Scott Hogle,
President,
iHeartRadio Honolulu

What challenges are advertisers facing in today’s media landscape?

Consumer attention spans continue to shorten, there is a lot of noise in the marketplace, and time spent with media is spread out more than ever. Advertisers want proven strategies (not just fancy dashboards and sales pitches) to maximize their marketing budgets and drive R.O.I. iHeartRadio helps advertisers stand out from the crowd with popular morning shows, an audience size of almost 400,000 weekly listeners, and digital ad technology only available through iHeart.

What are the trends in audio?

Podcasting is growing significantly. In fact, iHeart has 173 million monthly podcast subscribers with over 300,000 million monthly downloads nationwide. IHeart got out in front of the audio revolution and as a result became the #1 podcast publisher on the planet. Adding this strength to our 900 AM & FM radio stations across 150 U.S. cities, iHeartRadio now reaches more people than Facebook and Google.

How has the post pandemic business environment affected iHeart?

Did you know that Honolulu is consistently rated one of the top 3 worst traffic-congested cities in the country? This is good news for iHeart because IN-CAR LISTENING is back too. Our TOTAL TRAFFIC NETWORK reaches 300,000+ listeners in Honolulu during AM & PM drive time which gives advertisers a massive captive audience.

How does Radio stand out compared to other media?

It dominates in many ways. In a time of crisis when the electricity is out, radio is the only media that listeners can turn to for life saving information. Also, radio is the ONLY media you can take wherever you go, even behind the wheel. AM/FM radio was voted the most TRUSTED source of media in the U.S. In fact, iHeartRadio has the only LIVE & LOCAL RADIO NEWS DEPARTMENT during AM & PM drive times in Honolulu. Iconic brands and market leaders like KSSK and NewsRadio 830 KHVH-AM assist our news department in producing accurate and relevant news and information to all of our radio stations in Hawaii.

What is NEW for iHeart Honolulu?

We recently launched POP 101.9, America’s first 100,000-Watt Asian Pop Music Station. It’s taken off beyond our wildest dreams and now joins the #1 and Exclusive line up of legendary Honolulu stations like 92.3 KSSK, Island 98.5, Star 99.1, and others. Our programming strategies have led us to a higher level of influence, reaching as many as 200,000 female listeners a week. This is a big deal for advertisers as women make 70-80% of purchasing decisions within a household.

What is your secret to success?

We created a culture of growth and personal development decades ago. I have always believed that the best way to grow a company is to grow the people in it. Our community focus continues to be on serving our listeners, our customers, and non-profits. We are intentional about using resources to serve and strengthen others. There is nothing more rewarding than helping local businesses succeed. We all have to make a living, it’s nice to be able to make a difference too.

1650 Iwilei Road Suite 400
Honolulu, HI 96817
ScottHogle@iHeartMedia.com