Radio Advertising in Lebanon: Does Survival Mode Leave Room for Growth?

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Local radio ad spend has sharply declined over time, barely clearing the $1 million mark today, compared to an estimated peak of nearly $10 million in the years prior to the crisis. But as overall advertising investments in Lebanon slowly regain momentum, radio remains a clear exception, stagnant, static and struggling to attract new budgets.

Can radio still benefit from the gradual yet fragile rebound in advertising after years in limbo? From audience measurement and content relevance to shifting advertiser priorities and competition from digital audio and social platforms, many factors come into play.

To better understand the structural, commercial and strategic reasons behind radio’s stalled growth and whether the long-standing medium can still reinvent itself within Lebanon’s media mix, ArabAd reached out to some of the country’s top radio stations for firsthand insight and future-forward perspectives.

Surging Listenership vs. Dwindling Budgets

With social media and streaming platforms taking over, one might think traditional radio has fewer listeners. Insider data says otherwise. “According to the latest radio audience study conducted by the Advertising Association and Reach Media, radio listenership in Lebanon remains remarkably strong,” Music or Media Holding COO Claude Kawas told ArabAd.

As the manager of a leading radio group that includes Nostalgie Liban, Aghani Aghani, Jabal Lebnan Radio and formerly NRJ Lebanon, he believes radio remains one of the strongest mass media platforms in Lebanon with “76% of the Lebanese population listening to the radio for at least one hour per week, a percentage that is even higher than in many European countries” by comparison.

Strong listenership, however, does not translate into advertising budgets. When asked to describe the current state of Lebanese radio in just one sentence, managing partner of Beirut’s feel-good radio station Light FM Karim Mansour perfectly summed it up: “More listeners than ever before, less money than ever before.”

Radio in Lebanon remains "an incredibly powerful and resilient medium" in the words of Najy Cherabieh, general manager at Virgin Radio Lebanon. “But it is currently caught in an exhausting cycle of trying to recover while being heavily affected by the ongoing conflict and economic strain,” he paradoxically observed.

Despite radio’s enduring market power locally, advertising expenditure is where the fundamental challenge lies. “Radio is still as powerful as ever, and for us, we love how we influence tastes and inspire creativity through the music we play,” Mansour concurred. “Doing that without the support of advertisers and sponsors nonetheless is unsustainable.”

Evolving Business Models in the Face of the Crisis 

From full-blown economic collapse to ongoing geopolitical unrest, Lebanon’s radio stations adapted to the crisis in different ways, often pivoting into new business opportunities. “The crisis forced us to change our daily operations, from managing fuel and power to instantly adjusting our programming during a crisis to keep people safe and help the community,” Cherabieh explained.

“Broadcasting requires continuous electricity, while Lebanon currently receives only around 3 to 6 hours of state electricity per day, forcing stations to rely heavily on private generators,” Kawas further noted. “Fuel prices increased dramatically following the war in Ukraine and later the regional tensions involving Iran, making operational costs extremely high.”

With businesses across Lebanon suffering financially amid volatile circumstances, advertising spending was drastically reduced. “To adapt, radio stations evolved beyond traditional broadcasting by strengthening their digital presence, integrating social media into radio programs, creating sponsored segments inside shows and repurposing interviews and content as podcasts and YouTube videos in order to offer advertisers multi-platform visibility,” Kawas elaborated.

The current conflict made things even harder for local stations, disrupting not only regular advertising but also event planning and brand sponsorships. “We adapted by becoming highly flexible, moving away from rigid commercial structures and focusing on quick agile partnerships and special offerings to help struggling businesses. We also focus much of the airtime on community initiatives,” Cherabieh elucidated.

“For decades, Light FM's main source of revenue was advertising. However, with the collapse of the country and its advertising sector, our revenue from advertising nearly disappeared,” Mansour told ArabAd. “Fortunately, in 2017, we developed our music strategy and curation division Light FM Business by partnering up with what was then called Spotify Business (now Soundtrack Your Brand).”

This advanced cloud-based technology allowed the station to scale its business and expand beyond borders, managing music selection across more than 30 countries for over 1,000 venues, ranging from hotels and restaurants to shops, malls, beaches, bars and even a hospital. “Through offices in Brussels and Beirut, this division, which makes up over 95% of our revenue, helps us cover the expenses of our airwaves,” Mansour revealed.

Attracting Advertisers Amid Ad Spend Drought 

With core sectors that traditionally anchored Lebanon’s radio advertising such as banking, automotive, travel, hospitality and fashion retail heavily impacted by economic collapse, the sector found itself in uncharted territory. “The banking crisis eliminated consumer loans, especially car loans, while instability around the airport and regional security concerns negatively affected both tourism and travel-related advertising,” Kawas noted.

Aside from Light FM, which shifted its business model almost entirely towards music strategy and curation following three decades of collaboration with Choueiry Group’s Interadio, surviving industry players devised different ways to attract ad partnerships post-crisis. “Advertisers today want authentic, meaningful partnerships, not just standard ad spots,” Virgin Radio Lebanon’s Najy Cherabieh observed.

“We stayed relevant by actively supporting local businesses and significantly focusing on community-driven initiatives like our ‘Pay It Forward’ campaign,” he explained. “When brands see us using our platform to help people and keep the community afloat, they want to be a part of that effort.”

On top of community support efforts, local radio stations expanded their core offerings to remain attractive to advertisers. “Today, we create customized branded segments within radio shows, integrate advertisers into digital content and extend radio exposure through social media platforms, podcasts, YouTube interviews, reels and online video content,” Kawas detailed.

“However, radio itself remains the core medium, as it still offers unmatched daily reach, credibility and direct connection with audiences in Lebanon,” he asserted. “Digital platforms mainly serve as complementary extensions that reinforce the impact of radio campaigns.”

Stuck in Survival or Ready for Recovery? 

In the midst of persistent instability and dwindling advertising budgets, the Lebanese radio sector is still operating in survival mode today. “Advertising remains the primary source of income for most stations, and advertising is always a reflection of the economy,” Kawas told ArabAd.

“Over the past few years, Lebanon has faced one of the worst economic collapses in modern history, compounded by political instability, the Beirut Port explosion and regional conflicts,” he elucidated. “In such conditions, media outlets continue operating under enormous financial pressure while trying to maintain quality programming and retain audiences.”

But not all radio stations bear the burden equally, largely due to a media landscape rooted in political affiliations. “Most radio stations in Lebanon are politically backed and don't necessarily need ads to survive. For the few, like Light FM, who don't deal with politics and are fully independent, I would say we're struggling to stay in survival mode,” Mansour observed.

While forced to navigate endless survival loops, stations are pushing forward with a recovery mindset. “We are still hopeful for a summer season as we continue launching campaigns, and planning events, albeit on a smaller/localized scale, but the ongoing conflict makes it a daily battle. Every project or sponsorship we secure right now is a hard-fought win,” Cherabieh noted.

“Lebanon and its media are incredibly resilient,” he added, echoing the country’s undying spirit and inherent resourcefulness. “If it weren't for the entrepreneurial Lebanese mind, always finding ways to stay afloat, most of us would have shut down I'm sure,” Light FM’s Karim Mansour congruently admitted.

A Future Played by Ear 

As Lebanon’s ad sector slowly regains momentum after years of forced adaptation, the future of radio advertising is open to debate. “Ad spend is less than 5% of what it used to be before the collapse, and it's not because digital took over, otherwise we would have seen this in all developed markets,” Mansour noted. “All over the world, radio is still thriving and as popular as ever. Here, we're still waiting for Lebanon to catch up with itself.”

The country’s economic recovery, however, has always been closely tied to larger developments within its surrounding geopolitical landscape. “If the region moves toward greater stability and peace after years of conflict, Lebanon’s economy could gradually recover, which would naturally help the advertising market rebound as well,” Kawas observed.

"Radio will benefit because it still offers immediate, live connections that digital media can't fully replace,” Cherabieh stated. “The future of radio isn't just audio, it is a mix of on-air presence, on-the-ground events and strong social media integration. The stations that act as community hubs are the ones that will come out of this stronger when things finally stabilize.” 

Besides structural and economic improvements, cost-efficiency could also be a deciding factor in shaping the future of radio. “Radio advertising remains significantly more affordable than television advertising, while television itself is facing challenges due to declining local production and the rise of digital formats such as reels, shorts, podcasts and on-demand content,” Kawas pointed out.

“The future belongs to radio stations that combine strong on-air performance with an active digital presence and loyal audience engagement,” he added. “These stations will be the first to benefit from the return of advertising budgets once the Lebanese economy begins to recover.”

* Published in ArabAd Lebanon special issue – June 2026