Posts in "Hot Topics"
February 24, 2022
Filed Under: Hot Topics
One of the benefits of Nielsen’s PPM methodology is that it yields a tremendous amount of data. Savvy programmers harness this data to make better decisions and, often, solve problems.
As The Ratings Experts, we relish finding solutions for our client.
Two programming questions that frequently pop up are:
- Where should I place my heavy spot loads?
- Where should I place long commercial-free music sweeps?
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February 17, 2022
Filed Under: Hot Topics
Many of you are probably thinking … Why do I need to know this? Simply put, they are both percentages yet percentages of two different bases or universes.
In last month’s Back to Basics post, we discussed Cume, Time Spent Listening (TSL), and Average Quarter-Hour (AQH). Now let’s explore the meaning and importance of Ratings and Shares.
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February 9, 2022
Filed Under: Hot Topics
Radio as a medium has several strengths. Reach, frequency, and immediacy are the first to come to mind. It also reaches people closest to the point of purchase, as they can listen on their way to the store. What strength does Radio have that other media do not have and cannot have? It’s that PERSONAL CONNECTION to the audience. That’s our secret weapon!
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February 3, 2022
Filed Under: Hot Topics

Over the past few years, retail stores with brick-and-mortar establishments have been negatively impacted by the growth of e-commerce. This was exacerbated by the pandemic, as online purchasing exploded. Many proclaimed retail dead and shopping districts a thing of the past.
However, there are indications that this trend may be reverting back to the norm…
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January 27, 2022
Filed Under: Hot Topics
If you are a Nielsen Audio subscriber – or read All Access – you know that the ratings company recently issued a statement concerning COVID and meter in-tab in PPM markets. Like many companies across a broad spectrum of industries, the pandemic has impacted their ability to perform at optimum levels.
We applaud Nielsen for their transparency on this issue. We also urge you to pay closer attention to your market’s in-tab every single month.
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January 20, 2022
Filed Under: Hot Topics

Are you hitting the reset button for 2022? Well, we’re doing just that at Research Director, Inc. One week each month, we’ll provide you with an educational series article on “Back to Basics.” We’ll focus on terminology, basic concepts of audience estimates, and how you can use data to ensure a successful year.
In this first edition, we are covering the basic terms for radio audience measurement. Do you know that there are only two main things measured? They are how many people are listening and how long they listen. You know these as Cume and Time Spent Listening (TSL).
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January 13, 2022
Filed Under: Hot Topics
One of the realities that the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated with cruel efficiency is that radio is uber-dependent on in-car listening. The “at-work” environment was diminished by the work from home (WFH) movement. While more people have returned to their regular routines, “at work” will remain challenged until Nielsen solves the ear bud issue. The third triad of radio’s location platform was “at-home.” Unfortunately, being locked down for so long caused a rise in smart speaker penetration, which led to new behaviors that created new habits.
Which brings us back to the car…
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January 6, 2022
Filed Under: Hot Topics
There is a saying in sports: “A tie is like kissing your sister.” Forget the political (in)correctness – it demonstrates how we all feel about a tie. However, is a tie always a tie?
I was recently looking at a San Francisco ranker and the number one station in the market had an Adult 25-54 AQH rating of a 0.2. So did the #2 through #11 stations. Does that mean all of these stations are tied, and therefore equal?
Obviously, the answer is NO!
So what is the difference?
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December 16, 2021
Filed Under: Hot Topics
In today’s modern PPM-encoded world, radio programmers can garner a lot of granular information on their listeners. However, one data point that eludes us is location. We can know if listening is “at home” or “away from home” but have lost the “at work” and “in car” distinctions.
How can we compensate for that missing insight?
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December 14, 2021
Filed Under: Hot Topics
Are you looking for new ways to prospect and pitch local business? Are you wondering how you will hit your sales goal?
The answer is Scarborough’s new data.
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