Spanish radio in social networks: cross-media in the convergent scenario

Abstract

This research determines and analyzes the presence and participation of the main Spanish radio stations in social networks. It is checked in which networks are present, the number of followers, the number of publications and the possible establishment of a two-way communication with the public. Audiences are also compared regarding the number of listeners and the number of followers through quantitative monitoring techniques and statistical data analysis. The results indicate that, as a whole, the traditional audiences of the radio are still superior to the number of followers in social networks, although there are cases in which the followers outnumber the listeners.
This means, on the one hand, a proliferation of cross-media radio contents that are consumed in more channels than the radio itself and, on the other hand, that there are radios that no longer listen through the radio itself, but on other supports from Internet. The need of the Spanish radio to adapt its contents for the diffusion in the social networks is demonstrated due to the massive follow-up that it has in these channels and, consequently, the validity of a scene of convergent information production where the journalist of the radio must work to be heard, to be watched, to be read and to interact with the public.