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Posts in "Hot Topics"

New Year’s Resolutions for Programmers

January 11, 2024

Filed Under: Hot Topics

How’s that for a click bait title? This is not going to be a blog about making resolutions. I don’t make them and according to Google, 63% of you don’t, as well.

If you’re in a PPM market – and you are not the one station that went all merry and bright – the December and Holiday books fall in the “meh” category.  Rather than do a deep dive into surveys that are somewhat skewed, take a broader look at your market and your station(s). Here are a few things to look at:

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A New Year and New Resolutions

January 4, 2024

Filed Under: Hot Topics

Many people make resolutions for the New Year. Why? Do you? How do you choose what should be your resolution for the year? I have struggled with this my whole life. In fact, it sometimes stresses me out so much I give up. Here’s a different perspective on New Year’s resolutions …

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Radio Ratings Roundup, December 2023, Part IV

December 29, 2023

Filed Under: Hot Topics

Welcome back to our final look at the DECEMBER survey. The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. could not bring you this here missive 13 times a year without our partners from XTRENDS. If we are Santa, then they are the reindeer that make this all possible. Sure, Santa gets all the credit, but he’d be sitting on his ample posterior up at the NORTH POLE without Rudolph and his minions. XTRENDS provide the numbers; we throw in the snark.

This survey ran from NOVEMBER 9TH through DECEMBER 6TH. We saluted our veterans, we put ourselves into a collective food coma and radio stations all over AMERICA started playing ANDY WILLIAMS records. This is truly an amazing TIME TO BE ALIVE.

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Radio Ratings Roundup, December 2023, Part III

December 29, 2023

Filed Under: Hot Topics

The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – in a tight formation with the reindeer-driving wizards from XTRENDS – are taking a break from printing out our AMAZON return receipts to bring you our third installment of the DECEMBER survey. This one began on NOVEMBER 9TH and polished itself off on DECEMBER 6TH. It had a federally mandated three-day weekend, the annual feast of the fatted fowl and, of course, the reappearance of such renowned audio artists as THURL RAVENSCROFT and the duo ELMO AND PATSY. That these three are not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a true miscarriage of justice. We will attempt to stifle our outrage as we bury you in the numbers…

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Radio Ratings Roundup, December 2023, Part II

December 28, 2023

Filed Under: Hot Topics

The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – in conversation with math magicians from XTRENDS – have been in a heated debate recently. Look, we’re all fine with the radio airwaves being fouled by the incessant drumming and ringing. The masses love it. What we cannot cotton to is the thought that My Favorite Things is a CHRISTMAS song. Sure, it talks about sleigh bells, snowflakes and packages tied up with strings, but it is from The Sound of Music. This is a movie about a lot of “things” – CHRISTMAS not being one of them. So if the powers that choose the songs will indulge us – please purge this from your playlist. With that settled, let us proceed with the DECEMBER survey. It ran from NOVEMBER 9TH through DECEMBER 6TH and it featured a lot of our favorite things – ratings.

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Radio Ratings Roundup, December 2023, Part I

December 27, 2023

Filed Under: Hot Topics

Now that the dulcet tones of BURL IVES have faded into the ether, it is time for The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – along with the XTRENDS elves in the data-crunching workshop – to rehash the seminal ghosts of CHRISTMAS past. We bring you the DECEMBER survey. A time when the airwaves were riddled with jingling bells, drumming children and, apparently, the telling of scary ghost stories from prior holidays. This book began on NOVEMBER 9TH and skidded to a halt on DECEMBER 6TH. It featured a long holiday weekend plus folks gobbling up as much turkey as possible. Here’s how it ended up: Read More…

‘Tis The Season

December 21, 2023

Filed Under: Hot Topics

As we roll through the holidays, we can get distracted by all the hoopla and the hype. I am mindful of the fact that we all need the hope that this season brings. We need to focus on ourselves and take the time to recharge.

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Using Geographic Strengths This Election Season

December 14, 2023

Filed Under: Hot Topics

There is no question that political dollars will be the make-or-break category for many broadcasters for the end of this year and into next year. The flow of presidential candidate spending is in full force.

We have been assisting its clients in maximizing political revenue, it has become obvious that the role of geography is a game changer.

Geographic appeal is a dominant advantage for most radio stations. Few stations’ listenership is evenly spread across the entire metro. Due to signal and format appeal, most stations’ listenership is centered in a small portion of the metro. So how do you take advantage of your station’s geographic appeal?

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Closing Out the Year Strong

December 7, 2023

Filed Under: Hot Topics

Do you need one more big piece of business to finish 2023 strong? To hit your goal? Most radio sellers are now scrambling to close last-minute business. We can help …

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Radio Ratings Roundup, November 2023, Part IV

December 1, 2023

Filed Under: Hot Topics

Welcome back to the final RRR of NOVEMBER. Let’s face it – this is also the final survey of 2023. Sure, there are still two more books to go but unless you’re unleashing GENE AUTRY or BURL IVES on the masses, you’ll likely take the results with a healthy pinch of flaky salt. Still, The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – along with the math mavens from XTRENDS – will continue to soldier on. We are focused on the time period of OCTOBER 12TH through NOVEMBER 8TH. It featured millions of children on a collective sugar high, engagement of the flux capacitor to reverse time and the casting of ballots. Let us begin…

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