Posts in "Hot Topics"
February 25, 2020
Filed Under: Hot Topics
The Oakland Athletics just announced that they could not find a radio broadcast partner so their games will only be available digitally through TuneIn. This is a sign of the change in the recognized value of play-by-play sports on the radio.
When I started in this industry (okay it was 40 years ago), few things were as valuable to a radio station as play-by-play baseball. That was 162 games (approximately 486 hours) of programming that attracted tremendous audiences. A lot has transpired in those four decades, and it makes me think that play-by-play (even baseball) does not have the ratings or revenue value that it once did.
Why is this?
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February 18, 2020
Filed Under: Hot Topics
If Nielsen is truth, which many advertisers claim, then those same advertisers can use market listening levels (known as PUMM in PPM markets) against radio stations. In many markets, Nielsen is reporting that PUMMs are falling. Advertisers could conclude that this means fewer people are tuning to radio.
Previous blogs have documented that radio’s reach is as strong as it has always been. So what is the truth?
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February 4, 2020
Filed Under: Hot Topics
By now you’ve probably read the article in Inside Radio concerning the recently released Holiday survey.
The article provides some interesting insight. Specifically, how Christmas music drives P1 listening. People come to these stations – in droves – and make it their “favorite,” if only for a while.
The question is – how do we harness this enormous listener passion?
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January 28, 2020
Filed Under: Hot Topics
You may have noticed that it’s election season (really, when ISN’T it election season?).
For every media platform, that means a potential influx of additional revenue. Everyone is looking for an angle to unlock their unfair share of that stream. Here is another potential “key.”
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January 21, 2020
Filed Under: Hot Topics
In a previous blog post, I waxed on about how living in a small college town has changed my perceptions of radio usage. Our medium has long touted itself as being local, focusing on its community and the ability to deliver people to advertisers. At face value this is true. But is local radio practicing what the industry preaches?
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January 7, 2020
Filed Under: Hot Topics
The recently released December survey gave us the first glimpse of the power of Christmas music. Almost every station that made the switch saw a dramatic increase in their shares. But, when you look under the hood, you may find a completely different story.
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December 10, 2019
Filed Under: Hot Topics
Can radio advertising drive web site visits and Google searches? All recent studies clearly answer that question with a resounding YES! Multiple national studies have shown that, in most cases, when an advertiser adds radio to their ad campaign, internet traffic for that advertiser grows.
A recent Westwood One study of 300+ auto dealers shows that AM/FM radio results in a 17% lift in web visits to the dealer’s web site. Clearly a success.
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December 3, 2019
Filed Under: Hot Topics
You have likely seen the Cumulus Media/Westwood One study on the effectiveness of radio campaigns for a jewelry store. If not, check it out here.
This is an excellent piece of research. It does a great job marrying the reach and frequency of radio with web analytics. This is exactly the type of research radio needs to publicize more frequently.
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November 14, 2019
Filed Under: Hot Topics
Each year, effective with the October PPM and Fall diary books, updated population numbers are incorporated into Nielsen Audio’s radio audience estimates. Changes within the market population can significantly impact the audience estimates that Nielsen Audio reports, even if panelists’ or diarykeepers’ listening hasn’t changed at all.
How is this?
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October 29, 2019
Filed Under: Hot Topics
Yes, it’s that time of year when radio stations across the country start playing the usual suspects – Thriller, The Monster Mash, Don’t Fear the Reaper – and I’m ready to enjoy the goosebumps that Vincent Price’s maniacal laughter raises. While we enjoy the annual ritual of these “spooky” classics, we’re reassured by our knowledge that there’s no such thing as ghosts. But perhaps that’s not as true as we might think – especially in a few radio stations that have reported some interesting phenomenon. And as you might suspect, many of these occurrences took place with DJs working the graveyard shift alone. Here are some of their stories.
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