Archive
September 17, 2019
Filed Under: Hot Topics
I may be one of the few people who still receive a printed paper in their driveway everyday. As a matter of fact, every morning I have three printed newspapers delivered. Yes, I still like reading news printed on paper. Most of the population has evolved from a printed paper to getting their news digitally.
In fact, many newspapers (I guess we should not refer to them as newspapers) boast more digital readers than paper readers. At first glance, that would appear to be advantageous because the news organization saves the cost of printing and delivery. Digital delivery will save money and therefore boost the bottom line. The incremental cost of a new reader is minimal.
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September 10, 2019
Filed Under: Hot Topics
I am a lover of radio. I spent thirty years on the air and programming radio stations. But I do listen to a lot of Spotify. Why? Hey, I’m a former PD. No one can build a better playlist than I can.
I don’t pay for the premium service. It’s not because I’m cheap (well, maybe a little). It’s because I want to hear the commercials. I’m curious to see who is advertising on the platform. Unfortunately, I get more promos than spots. Most of these are, frankly, lame and boring. However, a recent one got my attention … and raised my ire.
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August 27, 2019
Filed Under: Hot Topics
The census is coming! Officially, we begin counting ourselves on April 1, 2020. This is an important event for our country but holds particular significance for radio.
Why? Besides the fact that we are federally licensed to serve our communities and the results of the census directly affects those communities of license? Yea, that. But the census will also have an impact on the two pillars of the radio industry – ratings and revenue.
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August 13, 2019
Filed Under: Hot Topics
Like many aspects of our industry, the popularity of podcasts has exploded. However, for many, it has been difficult for radio groups to effectively monetize this new audio outlet. One element is a fair and agreed upon currency. Do downloads convert to listeners, and when someone starts a podcast, how long do they listen?
Another issue has been who is listening. What do they consume based on a specific podcast or podcast genre? This second question is being answered by Nielsen and Scarborough.
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August 6, 2019
Filed Under: Hot Topics
Adults 25-54 is the most requested demographic group by radio advertisers. Besides the fact that 25-54 is not a demographic group, but a family reunion, why do so many advertisers request 25-54? In a single word – habit. Choosing Adults 25-54 allows advertisers more selection of stations and it therefore gives them tremendous price advantage.
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July 23, 2019
Filed Under: Hot Topics
I live in a small, college town. With apologies to John Mellencamp, I was not born and raised in a small town. I lived – and programmed – in major markets. So, it has been an interesting transition listening to radio in this smaller market.
The dial is controlled by two big companies, but their approach could not be more different. As a listener, I find it fascinating.
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July 9, 2019
Filed Under: Hot Topics
As Scarborough expands to more medium-sized markets, there are many new users of qualitative research. It does not matter if you are using Scarborough, The Media Audit, or other qualitative tools. The question always arises: which should I use, cume rating or cume composition?
There is no wrong answer to this basic question.
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June 13, 2019
Filed Under: Hot Topics
Most rookie sales reps learn right away that stations are selected by how well they perform in the advertiser’s target demo. Whether it is 18-34 for the latest movie premiere, or 25-54 for the new car dealer, stations are often selected by how they price within the designated demo.
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May 30, 2019
Filed Under: Hot Topics
I have a 0.4 rating.
So does my competitor.
So do four other radio stations.
Clearly all six of the radio stations are equal – or at least on the ranker. So how does the overworked media buyer/advertiser decide which station to select? The easy answer is the one who comes in the cheapest or delivers the most “extra value.” Competing on price or adding a boatload of ineffective and costly added value is not the answer.
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May 16, 2019
Filed Under: Hot Topics
In a matter of months, Nielsen is planning to deliver monthly ratings reports – known as Continuous Diary Measurement (CDM) – to the four-book per year diary markets. These monthly reports will be considered “currency.” Nielsen is positioning this as a positive step towards aiding in enhancing radio’s relevance to the advertising community. Nielsen believes that having more frequent currency data is a plus for these markets and can result in new advertising dollars.
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