Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — November 2025 — NIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a leading consumer intelligence company, announced that GfK, which is part of the NIQ group, has successfully completed Malaysia’s first-ever nationwide Radio Audience Measurement (RAM) survey, marking a major milestone for the country’s media industry.
Since 2016, GfK has been the trusted researcher of RAM insights in Malaysia, and this latest initiative expands its scope to cover both Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia simultaneously, including key cities such as Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Miri, and Sandakan. This unified approach provides the most comprehensive view yet of Malaysia’s radio listenership, setting a new benchmark for media measurement in the country.
A Unified and Comprehensive Nationwide Snapshot
According to GfK’s latest RAM Wave 2 2025 findings, radio continues to command a strong presence nationwide, reaching 21.9 million weekly listeners with an average weekly listening time of 12 hours and 47 minutes, underscoring the medium’s enduring relevance. The survey, conducted over six weeks from 24 August to 4 October 2025, captured listening habits across the country.
- Peninsular Malaysia: 6,000 unique individuals aged 10 years and above
- East Malaysia: 600 individuals aged 10 years and above from key cities, including Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Miri, and Sandakan, participated.
GfK adopted a hybrid methodology, combining paper diary and e-diary for the study, providing the most comprehensive snapshot of Malaysia’s radio landscape, unifying audience measurement across both regions for the very first time.
This radio-focused survey provides highly detailed insights into live listening patterns, capturing audience behaviour in 15-minute intervals across an entire week. It collects not only when listeners tune in, but also where and how they access radio. Such granular analysis equips broadcasters, media agencies, and advertisers with actionable intelligence – enabling them to pinpoint peak listening times and locations, and ultimately make more precise and data-driven decisions.
How Malaysians Listen: Daily Routines and Environment
- In-car listening leads the nation with 17.1 million weekly listeners, solidifying radio’s role as Malaysia’s preferred companion.
- Home listening remains substantial, reaching 13.2 million weekly listeners, while workplace listening records 2.4 million weekly listeners.
- Although cars dominate in overall reach, time spent listening tells a different story. Workplace audiences dedicate the longest hours to radio, averaging 11 hours and 20 minutes per week, followed closely by home listeners at 10 hours and 10 minutes weekly.
Radio’s Strongest Time Slots
Radio’s prime slots continue to deliver massive reach across Malaysia.
- Weekday drive time (Monday-Friday, 4pm-8pm) remains the strongest performance segment, drawing 15.3 million listeners each week.
- Weekday breakfast segment (Monday to Friday, 6am-10am) follows closely with 15.2 million listeners, highlighting radio’s importance in morning routines across the country.
These segments demonstrate radio’s continued relevance throughout daily life – from energizing mornings to accompanying commuters on the road.
Setting a New Standard for Media Measurement in Malaysia
The successful completion of this first-ever nationwide RAM survey marks a significant achievement for GfK, an NIQ Company, and Malaysia’s radio industry. By unifying measurement across Peninsular and East Malaysia, the study delivers the most comprehensive insights into listening behaviour to date.
With robust methodology, detailed analysis, and nationwide coverage, the survey not only validates radio’s enduring relevance but also equips broadcasters, agencies, and advertisers with the intelligence needed to make smarter, data-driven decisions. This milestone reinforces GfK’s commitment to advancing media measurement in Malaysia and sets a new standard for understanding audiences in the digital age.
About NIQ
NIQ is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. Our global reach spans over 90 countries covering approximately 85% of the world’s population and more than $7.2 trillion in global consumer spend. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights – delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms – NIQ delivers the Full View™.
For more information, please visit www.niq.com.
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