Posts in "Hot Topics"
December 23, 2024
Filed Under: Hot Topics
And so it begins. The DECEMBER survey has been unleashed, and it’s marred by the annual release of the scourge of Scrooge upon a fully suspecting populace. Beginning early in this time frame – which ran from NOVEMBER 7TH through DECEMBER 4TH – almost every single stinkin’ market had that one station that decided to play DEAN MARTIN records. As we shall see, the results will speak for themselves … though it must be said that The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – with a healthy assist from the playmakers at XTRENDS – will provide our own snide remarks in a hope to liven up the festivities. Besides the inception of Santa’s reign, DECEMBER also featured a three-day weekend and the ritual stuffing of the turkey.
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December 19, 2024
Filed Under: Hot Topics
We’re back with the final best of Hot Topics before the kids rush down the stairs to tear open presents and stockings. This week we go all the way back to 2012, *echoes* … 12 … 12 … 12.
Christmas music has been playing for weeks now. Christmas music has been playing for weeks now. For some stations, switching to an “All Christmas” format is a definite gift. Those gifts will come in the form of larger cumes and increased listening, which results in larger average quarter hour (AQH).
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December 12, 2024
Filed Under: Hot Topics
RDI is back with the Best of Hot Topics holiday edition. We’re busy preparing for the December book by throwing up tinsel like it’s going out of style. As a result we decided to re-run some older articles that are still extremely relevant.
In 2020 Inside Radio posted an analysis of the Holiday 2019 survey. To refresh your memory the link is below.
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December 5, 2024
Filed Under: Hot Topics
Research Director, Inc. is preparing for the arrival of the December book (and the big guy). To that end we decided to dive into our archives and find our best Yuletide content. Who doesn’t like a leftover turkey sandwich and blog?
Way back in 2019 the December book had just been released and it 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 2, 2024
Filed Under: Hot Topics
Welcome back. By now you’ve hopefully made it over the river and through the woods, past the TSA checkpoints and around the idiots on the interstates. The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – along with the turkey trotters from XTRENDS – have fully recovered from our food comas and are here to bring you the final installment of the NOVEMBER survey.
This one ran from OCTOBER 10TH through NOVEMBER 6TH. There was a three-day sale weekend and a conspicuous election during that span. And it was the final untainted book of the year. Let us begin…
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November 27, 2024
Filed Under: Hot Topics
Merrily we roll along through the survey known as NOVEMBER. Well, we’re not actually merry about the survey itself, but we are pleased that this is the final book of the year that has not been spoiled by overpowering pine-scented vapors wafting throughout the land. This is just another one of your garden variety books. It began on OCTOBER 10TH and shuffled off this mortal coil on NOVEMBER 6TH. There was a three-day weekend, better known for appliance and furniture sales, and some sort of national election.
As always, The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – along with the data diviners from XTRENDS – are here to peel back the layers and reveal NIELSEN’s version of reality.
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November 26, 2024
Filed Under: Hot Topics
The holiday fever that sweeps the nation every year can likely be traced to the retail moguls who want you to buy inflatable Snoopys as early as possible. That’s why you see Target or Costco set fill their shelves with all the CHRISTMAS-related baubles you must have. One would think this translates into mass hysteria and an early run on those items. They must have data that proves this. Right?
In the radio world, the rush to flip to the Frosty format often happens earlier and earlier. However, as we discovered in part one of this series, only one of the five markets we examined featured a NOVEMBER switch. Spoiler alert – none of the next five markets featured an early convert. Sanity prevailed.
The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – in a committed relationship with the XTRENDS elves at the ratings workshop – bring you the NOVEMBER survey. It ran from OCTOBER 10TH through NOVEMBER 6TH. There was a three-day federal holiday weekend and an election you may have heard about. Here’s what happened:
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November 25, 2024
Filed Under: Hot Topics
Welcome to the final survey of 2024. “Wait,” you say, “there are two more books scheduled in this calendar year.” This is true, young padawan, but those surveys will be permanently scarred by the presence of BURL IVES and his evil minions. For the most part, this book is free from all things holly and jolly, though there may be a few outliers. The book ran from OCTOBER 10TH through NOVEMBER 6TH. It featured a federally-endorsed three-day weekend and the day of elections.
As always, The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – along with our numbers-crunching cohorts from XTRENDS – are here to serve the public interest and shine the light on the ratings results.
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November 21, 2024
Filed Under: Hot Topics
Now that we know that Nielsen will implement the new three-minute guidelines with the January 2025 survey, we can start thinking about the consequences. We already know AQH will rise at both the station and market level. We also know this will be primarily driven by increased AWTE (TSL for the veterans).
As you are likely discussing the possibilities within your station/cluster, here are a few things to watch out for.
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November 14, 2024
Filed Under: Hot Topics
As you read this, at least one station in your market has made the flip to All Frosty, All the Time. One could argue that making the switch during the November survey is a bit too early. We have seen mixed results for stations that decide that ten weeks of holiday tuneage is just what the market ordered.
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