October 4, 2024
After you do this stuff for a while, that old cliché becomes reality – the more things change, the more they stay the same. Month after month, survey after survey, the usual suspects are generally seen at the top of the ratings leaderboard. There was a time when we would see volatility – especially in the 25-54 sector. Now it seems like the status is quo in almost every demo except for those 18-34 young’uns. Is this because they are fickle and have little brand loyalty to radio? Or are they so screen-distracted that they cannot focus long enough on – squirrel! It will be interesting to see how the upcoming three-minute qualifier affects this.
The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC – in alignment with the number-crunching pishogues from XTRENDS – bring you our final installment of the SEPTEMBER survey. This ran from AUGUST 15TH through SEPTEMBER 11TH. School buses were on the streets, football was back, and there was a three-day weekend wedged in there as well. Here’s how it all played out:
Read More…
October 2, 2024
The SEPTEMBER hits just keep on coming. We do not have an exact count, but it feels like there are more songs written about this month than any other. According to AI, this is because the month can cause a mix of emotions, including nostalgia and reflection. Or because it rhymes with “remember.” It’s a coin toss for us.
The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – in cahoots with the math mavens from XTRENDS – are set to dive even further into this most recent survey. In case you’re keeping score at home, this book ran from AUGUST 15TH through SEPTEMBER 11TH. School was back in session, tailgating was back, and there was a tribute to labor. Here’s how that affected the numbers in our next group of markets.
Read More…
October 1, 2024
Don’t think the irony escapes us that you are reading our second pass at the SEPTEMBER survey on the first day of OCTOBER. As we do every 28 days, The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – in conjunction with the crackerjack conjurors of the algorithm from XTRENDS – are going boldly forward into the past. These are the numbers you will base future decisions upon. The fates and fortunes of hundreds of our radio brethren lie in the balance. Fortunately, we can only stretch the hyperbole so far.
The aforementioned survey period ran from AUGUST 15TH through SEPTEMBER 11TH. School was back in session; we had a federally-mandated three-day weekend, and everyone was ready for some football. Let’s do this.
Read More…
September 30, 2024
Do you remember the survey we call SEPTEMBER? Well, since this is the first round of releases, we’re talking about an extremely short memory as this is happening in real time (or IRL). The title card is a bit misleading as the survey began on AUGUST 15TH and concluded on SEPTEMBER 11TH. So it’s more like AUGTEMBER or SEPTEMUST.
Any way you slice it, the book covered the end of vacation season that bled into the back-to-school daze. It also featured a federally-mandated three-day weekend and the return of NIL, uh, NCAA football.
The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – huddling up with the data-crunching maestros from XTRENDS – are here to dive into the numbers and present them in a somewhat cogent style. Enjoy.
Read More…
September 26, 2024
We usually keep this blog focused on things like ratings and data and numbers. However, this time I want to opine about a radio “axiom” that seems to still be in vogue.
We’ve all heard the line: Your radio station should showcase the format in every quarter-hour.
Read More…