June 26, 2025
I finally got around to watching the movie A Complete Unknown. This is not a review, though Timothy Chalamet was brilliant. It’s more of an observation. Re-hearing so many groundbreaking songs that Bob Dylan created further re-affirmed not only his brilliance, but his immense contributions to the world of music.
I will now resurrect an old question – how will radio handle Bob Dylan’s eventual passing. The man is 84 years old and, not to be morbid, will eventually shuffle off this mortal coil.
How will radio react to this event? You can be sure that the New York Times, AP, Reuter’s, etc. already have obits in the can. CNN and other television networks will produce five-minute retrospectives. You can be sure Sirius/XM will devote an entire channel to the artist. What’s radio’s plan?
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June 20, 2025
Welcome back for our final tour of the MAY radio ratings landscape. So far we have seen the usual spate of the usual suspects scoring their usual numbers. We have also had some surprising plot twists to keep us entertained. Not to mention seeing how the three-minute rule has changed PUMM levels as compared to last year. The one consistent theme of that data is that there is no consistency from market to market.
As always, The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC., would be unable to bring you this vital information 13 times a year without the strong support from the crew at XTRENDS.
The MAY book ran from MAY 1ST through the 28TH and did feature the Memorial Day holiday. Buckle up, here we go…
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June 18, 2025
Here we go again. Another spate of radio ratings to digest. Belly up to the buffet, dear friends, as The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – along with the ratings royalty from XTRENDS – wield our Ginsu knives with perfection to slice and dice the numbers into a consumable form. Whether you’re a picky eater or a true gourmand, there is something here for everyone.
The MAY survey ran from MAY 1ST through the 28TH. This was a time period punctuated by strange weather and another holiday weekend. Here’s what happened…
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June 17, 2025
The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – along with the intrepid data diviners from XTRENDS – are back to regale you with more stories and sagas from the MAY survey. There were the requisite number of triumphs and tragedies, victories and defeats along with the mind-numbing regularity of the same old trends. Fortunes rose and fell based on a small percentage of the population. Yes, it’s a system that causes those outside of our industry to cock their heads like a curious dog. But it’s what we signed up for.
The book ran from MAY 1ST through the 28TH. It was an odd weather month that culminated in a three-day holiday weekend. Let us begin…
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June 16, 2025
Ah, MAY—the month that can’t decide whether it wants to be spring or summer. It’s the time when allergies wage war with your sinuses, and the promise of warmer weather is just enough to lure you outside, only for you to realize you’re woefully unprepared for the sudden downpour. Somehow, MAY manages to be both charming and infuriating, like a radio host that talks over your favorite song.
This was also the rare month when the calendar matched NIELSEN’s approximations as the survey ran from MAY 1ST through the 28TH. We all saluted Mom and there was a three-day federal holiday contained within the 28 day sweep.
The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – in close cooperation with our cohorts at XTRENDS – present, for your dining and dancing pleasure – MAY.
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I finally got around to watching the movie A Complete Unknown. This is not a review, though Timothy Chalamet was brilliant. It’s more of an observation. Re-hearing so many groundbreaking songs that Bob Dylan created further re-affirmed not only his brilliance, but his immense contributions to the world of music.