Drive Time Increasingly Means Talk Time

Alex Mindlin writes:  "A recent study confirms a fear long held by radio broadcasters: cellphone use is cutting into radio listening by commuters.  ¶  The study, done by the firm Bridge Ratings, found that commuters who use their phones in the car and drive an hour or more a day listened to the radio for 32 minutes a day in 2003, compared with 26 minutes today.  ¶  The time that such a commuter spends talking in the car has risen to 13.49 minutes a day, from 10.45 minutes a day in 2003.  ¶  According to the study, people make longer calls while in their cars than while outside of them. An in-car call averages 4 minutes and 21 seconds, while cellphone calls over all last an average of 3 minutes and 15 seconds. ..."  Link:  New York Times.