October 29, 2024
As the acrid aroma of pumpkin spice wafts through the HVAC system, The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – in a closed order formation with the math mavens from XTRENDS – bring you another scintillating round of crackerjack ratings analysis. Also, as the baseball playoffs continue to unfold, we are here to reveal an amazing fact. The numbers nerds at XTRENDS have the uncanny ability to immediately calculate a pitcher’s ERA – in their head! Take that, BILL JAMES!
This is round two of our take on the OCTOBER survey, which ran from SEPTEMBER 12TH through OCTOBER 9TH. There were no mandatory holiday weekends, football was in full swing and life patterns were reset to their factory settings. Here’s what happened:
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October 28, 2024
Ahhh, OCTOBER. The foliage, the taint of pumpkin spice on, well, everything, and the MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL post-season. The time when the biggest question on everyone’s mind in – why do fans boo when the visiting pitcher attempts a pick-off? Truly one of the most profound mysteries of our time.
The Ratings Experts from RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. – along with the seam savants from XTRENDS – bring you the latest in the NIELSEN numbers. The OCTOBER survey spanned the period from SEPTEMBER 12th through OCTOBER 9th. There were no federally-mandated holiday breaks, most people had settled into their regular schedules, and the election buzz was intensifying. Here’s how it affected the radio landscape:
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October 24, 2024
For as long as I can remember, the holy grail of radio demographics has been 25-54. The cynics among us have often said this is a family reunion, not a homogenous group of people. To put this in contemporary terms, a 25-year-old is a digital native while a 54-year-old is a digital immigrant.
The fact is that radio’s demographics are aging. Look at your market and you’ll see that one of the strongest demos for radio listening is 55-64. Countless formats depend on – and deliver – rock star-level shares with this group. Classic Hits, Classic Rock, Adult Hits, News/Talk, Talk, Sports, and Urban AC all play extremely well with the age cell.
Yet, the sales target remains the same as it ever was. As a result, programmers do whatever they can to avoid those 55-64 listeners.
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October 17, 2024
The buzz about the upcoming three-minute qualifier in the PPM measurement world has captured the industry. Without question, this will be a boon for our medium.
So let’s talk about the gaping hole that will still exist in PPM measurement. According to Edison’s Share of Ear, AM/FM radio (including streaming) is the dominant ad-supported platform, with an overall share of 68%. To state the obvious – the streaming portion of this audience is a huge, largely unmeasured market.
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October 10, 2024
This time of year is special in my family. Last week my parents celebrated their 42nd anniversary; my wife and I will celebrate eight years of marriage on October 21st; and my mom was born on October 5th, 19*ahem* (don’t worry mom, I would never give that up).
What does this have to do with you? Well, you can learn a lot about your listeners’ milestones if you have access to quantitative data like Scarborough, Media Audit, and others.
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