December 5, 2025
If you’re keeping score (and since you’re in radio you always keep score), of the first ten markets we have examined, only one had a station that dove into the holiday fray. As we prepped round three, we discovered that two of the next five markets had an early adopter. Which begs the question: Do listeners really want to hear BRENDA LEE that early? We could also ask if Costco shoppers want to buy Disney displays in SEPTEMBER. It’s all about expectations. Or is it?
The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR INC.—along with the right jolly old data elves from XTRENDS—bring you back into the NOVEMBER state of mind. This survey ran from OCTOBER 16TH through NOVEMBER 12TH. The time it was a-changing, there was an election, and we honored our Veterans. Here’s how that all played out:
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December 4, 2025
In our previous episode we went on a bit of a rant about how the NOVEMBER survey was “sus,” as the kids say, because of the early arrival of the elfin horde. Well, as it turned out, only one of the five markets we dissected had an early adopter. (To be fair, it went very well for that station.) As we were preparing this batch of markets, we thought it would be prudent to see if any stations jumped the shark, as it were. The answer is—none did. So, the NOVEMBER book is completely legit, only subject to the whims of the audience. Which is how things normally are.
This book ran from OCTOBER 16TH through NOVEMBER 12TH. The times changed (don’t they always), there were elections, and we honored our Veterans. Let’s dive in…
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December 3, 2025
Welcome to the first survey of the dystopian nightmare known as the holiday season. While you are recovering from your food coma and pouring through hundreds of unopened e-mails, your listeners have become zombies, lured by the siren songs of BURL IVES and his evil minions. They have flocked to the one station in your market that flipped the Frosty switch. Some may say this is a premature capitulation to our elfin overlords, but who are we to decide? The data will tell the story.
As always, The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC.—in a close-quarters formation with the numbers nerds from XTRENDS—bring you the NOVEMBER book. This one ran from OCTOBER 16TH through NOVEMBER 12TH. There was a time change, a few elections, and a federal holiday. Here’s how it all unfolded:
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November 27, 2025
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at Research Director, Inc.! Wishing you and your family a wonderful day filled with warmth, laughter, some pie, and your favorite radio station playing in the background. Our offices are closed until Monday. We will see you next week!
November 21, 2025
Once again, The Ratings Experts from Research Director, Inc., in cooperation with the data aggregators from XTRENDS, are here with the latest quarterly comparison of how the three-minute qualifier boosted listening levels. This time we are comparing Summer 2024 with Summer 2025. This is as close to an “apples to apples” comparison as we can get. Keep in mind the differences in survey dates, real world effects, and panel composition.
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