Posts in "Hot Topics"
June 12, 2024
Filed Under: Hot Topics
Welcome back to another episode of that popular radio game show: What’s up with the numbers? We have a new batch of contestants ready to confront their demons or celebrate their victories. The stakes are high but so are the rewards. As always, your hosts are The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. (or, as spell-check suggested, the “ravings” experts) as well as those spreadsheet superstars from XTRENDS.
The MAY survey ran from APRIL 25TH through MAY 22ND. There were no official three-day weekends, but we celebrated Mom, nerded out on STAR WARS, and saluted our Armed Forces.
Let the games begin….
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June 11, 2024
Filed Under: Hot Topics
Every 28 days there are people – like you – who are experiencing the ebbs and flows of the NIELSEN ratings cycle. Sure, you may have some clues as to how the book will turn out prior to its release, but nothing quite matches the emotional anticipation of that data download. Is it going to be a good day with fist pumps abounding? Will it be a day for self-reflection and navel-gazing? Or will it be a “meh” experience? Whichever way the meter turns, The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – along with a significant contribution from the math mages from XTRENDS – are here to put it all into perspective.
Our current subject is MAY. A survey that began on APRIL 25TH and reached its resolution on MAY 22ND. We celebrated Mom, our Armed Forces, and a sci-fi franchise. Other than that, life was whatever passes for normal these days…. Read More…
June 10, 2024
Filed Under: Hot Topics
Like crabgrass in your lawn, The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – along with the data diviners from XTRENDS – are back to take another stab at the ratings. This is our first look at the MAY survey, which ran from APRIL 25TH through MAY 22ND. There were several notable celebrations during the month: Mom, CINCO DE MAYO, and that totally nerdy day devoted to the STAR WARS franchise. Oddly enough, it was the second survey in a row that did not contain a federally-mandated three-day weekend. Go figure.
Fasten your seat belt, and keep your arms and legs in the vehicle at all times. We’re in for a bumpy ride.
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June 6, 2024
Filed Under: Hot Topics
With apologies to Charles Dickens and the Tale of Two Cities, we’re analyzing the best of times and the worst of times … well, actually decades …
If you haven’t seen it yet, I encourage you to scroll through the crosstabs from the recent YouGov study. You likely saw the headlines in trades about the respondents’ attitudes towards radio (more on that in a bit). However, the entire study probed a wide variety of topics and was organized along a best/worst axis.
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May 23, 2024
Filed Under: Hot Topics
You’ve probably read the recent report from Alan Burns & Associates about what women want from radio. If you haven’t then I urge you to do so – especially if you are programming a station that targets women.
Being the data geeks that we are, this comprehensive report was a wealth of information about the radio wants and desires for women. What struck me was that their overall feeling about AM/FM radio was positive.
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May 16, 2024
Filed Under: Hot Topics
Rounding third and heading for home, The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – along with the inside baseball nerds from XTRENDS – take another swing at the APRIL survey. We’re stepping up to the plate to bring you the in-depth ratings analysis you can only get from our crew of seasoned veterans. Hopefully, we will complete this game without a call to the bullpen or striking out.
This tape measure survey began on MARCH 28TH and recorded its third out on APRIL 24TH. It did not have any legal holidays, though it did include the EASTER weekend and signaled the official beginning for the boys of summer. We’re ready to play and here’s the first pitch…
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May 15, 2024
Filed Under: Hot Topics
Once again, The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – in a close-knit formation with the spreadsheet warriors from XTRENDS – are going boldly forward into the past. While being “present” and “centered” and “grounded” are perfectly good and certainly mindful, it does not help when looking over one’s shoulder.
Yes, this whole ratings paradigm is all about predicting the future based on what has already happened. So we gaze fondly back at the APRIL survey, a 28-day cycle that began on MARCH 28TH and became extinct on APRIL 24TH. We celebrated EASTER, Mother Earth, and collectively hummed “Take Me Out To The Ballgame.” Here’s what history has taught us…
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May 14, 2024
Filed Under: Hot Topics
By this point in the NIELSEN calendar, things should have gotten back to whatever passes for normal. The chaos caused by the holiday hostilities are now but a distant memory. We’ve yet to approach the end of the school year and the beginning of vacation season. As a result, the APRIL survey – from a real-world perspective – was somewhat benign. There were no federally-mandated three-day weekends. Other than weather-related events and the EASTER holiday, it was a fairly uneventful month.
The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – in a symbiotic relationship with the wizards of XTRENDS – are here to breathe some life into a survey that began on MARCH 28TH and concluded on APRIL 24th. The story goes something like this…
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May 13, 2024
Filed Under: Hot Topics
As predictable as the tides, every 28 days the ebbs and flows of the Nielsen metaverse are foisted upon us. The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – in an affiliated agreement with the masters of the metadata from XTRENDS – are here to guide you through the chaos. Nay, we do more than guide. We offer insight, perspective, and just a wee bit of snarkiness.
Welcome to part one of the APRIL recap. This book ran from MARCH 28th through APRIL 24th. We were forced to navigate the EASTER holiday, the first pitches of the baseball season, and whatever local calamity befell the markets in question. Buckle up, it could be a bumpy ride.
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May 9, 2024
Filed Under: Hot Topics
Recently, Fred Jacobs’ #TBT column was an ode to the Program Director. One of his essential points – to me – was that you should never get too high or too low when the book comes out. I used to tell my staff that ratings were like a baseball season – don’t celebrate a five-game winning streak any more than you lament dropping a weekend series. You are in it for the long haul.
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