Short Form Video: The Key to Reaching Younger Audiences for Radio and Local TV News
Prefer to watch a quick video on the topic instead? Click here to see how we take our own advice!
In the State of Media 2025 report, we examined the media habits of over 1,000 audiences surveyed in March and April 2025. The findings highlight a crucial opportunity for traditional broadcast outlets to capture younger audiences through short-form video content.
Why Short-Form Video?
Video content has become increasingly vital to connecting with younger demographics. Our study found that 93% of 18–34-year-olds report watching YouTube, with 66% identifying as heavy users (3+ days per week). Podcasts are also seeing a shift toward video, with 63% of audiences watching podcasts sometimes or always—a figure that climbs to 67% for younger demos. In the focus groups we conducted alongside the quantitative research for the State of Media report, younger audiences repeatedly emphasized how much short-form video content is a part of their daily routine. Many reported checking Reels or YouTube first thing in the morning, during breaks at work and school, while eating lunch, and at the end of the day.
Troubling Trends for Traditional Broadcast
For traditional broadcasters, the data highlights a noticeable drop in conversion rates for both radio and cable/satellite TV among younger demographics
- Cable/Satellite TV conversion fell from 65% in 2024 to 48% in 2025 among 18-34s—a steep 17-point drop.
- Radio saw a 15-point drop, from 51% to 36%.
While cable’s overall conversion rate remains high (71%), it’s buoyed primarily by older audiences. Radio’s total conversion sits at just 40%, down 7% from 2024. The decline in heavy usage and frequency is even more pronounced among younger audiences, emphasizing the need for new engagement strategies.
Leveraging Short-Form Video
For radio stations and local TV news, the opportunity is clear: tap into short-form content to build digital audiences and reclaim lost ground among younger demos.
- Repurpose morning traffic updates into quick, digestible video snippets sponsored by a local car dealership.
- Highlight key news segments as bite-sized shorts with catchy hooks to attract digital-native viewers.
- Think of top-of-the-hour news recaps as daily TikTok segments sponsored by a local bank or financial service.
- Convert morning radio trivia contests or giveaways into Instagram Reels with branded overlays sponsored by a local restaurant or coffee shop.
- Turn sports talk segments into a YouTube Shorts series sponsored by a local gym or sporting goods store.
- Create behind-the-scenes content, quick recaps, or even ‘Best Of’ clips to encourage social sharing and build digital brand affinity.
Why Now?
Audiences today crave content aggregation and local connection—a space where radio stations and local TV news can thrive. But to take advantage of this whitespace, broadcasters need to be intentional. Simply uploading content to YouTube is not enough. It needs to be chopped into bite-sized, engaging clips optimized for YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and TikTok.
In this new landscape, loyalty isn’t about having a cable subscription or a radio preset—it’s about being where the audience already is. And right now, that place is digital, fast-paced, and video-driven.
To read the full State of Media 2025 report, click here.
