January 28, 2025
Welcome to the roundup. In this issue we will see how much carnage Santa wrought on the radio landscape. However, there are three things that are worth noting for this survey.
First, it was five weeks long. This was so Nielsen could realign its metaverse.
Second, of the five weeks surveyed, only three were covered by the holiday music scam.
Third, this is the last time we will be encumbered by the five-minute rule (which is not to be confused with the five-second rule, which is the law of the land).
The HOLIDAY book ran from DECEMBER 5TH through JANUARY 8TH and featured, oddly enough, a few holidays. Imagine that. Here is the reality of the situation:
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January 16, 2025
As the tragic fires in Los Angeles have brought into sharp focus, significant and devastating natural disasters are a way of life in the U.S. And, whether it’s hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, blizzards, or wildfires, radio is ALWAYS there.
Radio – and more importantly radio people – are always at the forefront in providing critical, timely, and, often, life-saving information. Radio is also instrumental in the aftermath of any natural disaster. From clean up to fundraising, the power of radio makes a difference.
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January 9, 2025
Welcome to the first day of the rest of your radio life. As of January 9th everything in the ratings universe for PPM markets has changed – forever.
The new Nielsen three-minute rule is not the ratings law of the land. This grand change opens up a brave new world of possibilities for our industry.
What will it all mean?
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January 2, 2025
As a dedicated reader of this here missive, you might spend time every month reading through our Radio Ratings Roundup (RRR). This is where we do a semi-deep dive into the ratings of the top-20 markets. Chances are greater that you likely skim the articles, looking for markets or stations you care about.
That’s fine. Really, it’s just fine.
That said, you may have missed something in December’s RRR.
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December 30, 2024
Welcome back to the extended play version of the RRR. The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – with a significant contribution from the data diviners from XTRENDS – are here to wrap up the DECEMBER survey. While the first three rounds revealed the usual avalanche of audience augmentation for those stations who changed their formats, this final take is just chock full of surprises. One could say that several markets were delivered lumps of coal.
This survey ran from NOVEMBER 7TH through DECEMBER 4TH. Besides the holiday hijinks, there was the hallowed three-day weekend devoted to our Veterans along with the uniquely American bacchanalian feast of THANKSGIVING. Let’s all go for one more sleigh ride …
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