We talk a lot about the changing consumption patterns for our listeners, but according to Edison research, radio is still the most popular way to consume radio. The latest “Share of Ear” study asked respondents how they listen to their favorite radio stations. The terrestrial signal won by a large margin.

Among people 13 and older, 86% preferred to listen to their favorite station via the over-the-air signal. When it comes to adults between 18 and 49, that number drops slightly to 80%. That is clearly still an overwhelming favorite.

More overall listening is done via streaming, with the phone being the most popular option. When it comes to listening to the radio though, only 8% of people 13 and up said it was their top choice.

Computers and smart speakers represented the next two most popular means of listening to the radio. Internet-connected smart televisions showed up at number four. Those devices are becoming an increasingly more popular means of consuming radio content.

“Late last year we reported that for total audio listening, the phone surpassed the radio set for the first time,” a statement from Edison reads. “While it is always risky to predict the future, it seems reasonably safe to bet that the phone will be the primary battle zone for consumers’ time spent listening going forward. As of today, only a relatively small portion of time spent listening to audio on the smartphone goes to ‘radio.’ As radio charts a future that is less dependent on the single-function ‘radio set,’ success on the phone, as well as other internet-enabled devices, is imperative.”

Earlier this week, Molly Qerim got to do something she says she has wanted to do forever. Chris Russo gave her permission to share a picture of his First Take notes on Twitter.

The only way to describe the notes is to call them pure chaos. The photo elicited all kinds of disbelief as people noticed that most of Mad Dog’s notes are just names, circles and numbers with no context for why they are important. 

“It’s the anxiety-filled, chaotic, chaotic scribbling of a madman,” Matt Spiegel said Thursday on 670 The Score as he and Danny Parkins marveled at the picture.

The Chicago duo theorized these are more likely doodles than notes. Parkins noted that one of the bubbles Russo drew contained the names Molly Qerim and Dan Orlovsky.

“When Stephen A is talking, or when Molly is talking, or Orlovsky is talking, he is circling numbers on a piece of paper waiting for his own turn to talk,” Parkins said. “And if it’s not Stephen A, who he knows, he writes ‘Dan Orlovsky’ down there so he can go ‘DAN! DAN! DAN!.’ He reminds himself what the subject is because he’s not listening to other people.”

Chris Russo spent 19 years working alongside Mike Francesa on WFAN in New York. The two were notorious for talking over each other. 

Spiegel theorized that means there are probably thousands of pages of notes just like the one Qerim tweeted out in Russo’s home. He suggested that Russo publish them.

“I would buy it,” Parkins said. “I’d buy it for $19.95. 100 percent. He could have my $20.”

If you’re listening to Yankee games on the radio for the remainder of the month, you will notice a familiar voice is missing. John Sterling will be out of commission until June 6.

Sterling is dealing with an illness, according to The New York Post. Andrew Marchand notes that he has been told it is “not serious.”

“Don’t worry about me, you can tell your readers,” Sterling said. “I’ll be back soon.”

This is exactly the situation Justin Shackil was hired for this off-season. He will step in for Sterling to call the action alongside Suzyn Waldman.

John Sterling cut his travel schedule down for the second half of the 2022 season. He only traveled to away games inside the AL East. During this absence, the Yankees will be on a West Coast swing.

He also missed last week’s West Coast games. In total, John Sterling has missed 23 of the Yankees 61 games in 2023.