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It may be an understatement to say that we are living in unusual times. Every American’s life has been disrupted and there is a real concern for what will happen next.
While it may seem minor compared to other events that are pressing right now, this is a time when radio, especially local radio, excels. It is important for everyone to realize that this is not business as usual, and our industry’s ability to adapt is the secret of our long-term success.
Okay, I may be old-fashioned. However, I consider that a positive. Yes, I do use e-mail, conduct webinars, use social media, and text. However, I have the strong conviction, as inconvenient as it may be, that nothing replaces face-to-face human interaction.
The Oakland Athletics just announced that they could not find a radio broadcast partner so their games will only be available digitally through TuneIn. This is a sign of the change in the recognized value of play-by-play sports on the radio.
When I started in this industry (okay it was 40 years ago), few things were as valuable to a radio station as play-by-play baseball. That was 162 games (approximately 486 hours) of programming that attracted tremendous audiences. A lot has transpired in those four decades, and it makes me think that play-by-play (even baseball) does not have the ratings or revenue value that it once did.
Why is this?
If Nielsen is truth, which many advertisers claim, then those same advertisers can use market listening levels (known as PUMM in PPM markets) against radio stations. In many markets, Nielsen is reporting that PUMMs are falling. Advertisers could conclude that this means fewer people are tuning to radio.
Previous blogs have documented that radio’s reach is as strong as it has always been. So what is the truth?
By now you’ve probably read the article in Inside Radio concerning the recently released Holiday survey.
The article provides some interesting insight. Specifically, how Christmas music drives P1 listening. People come to these stations – in droves – and make it their “favorite,” if only for a while.
The question is – how do we harness this enormous listener passion?
