I’m doing a little bit of work for a political candidate in Oregon right now, and we’re trying to find out the following:
What are the top 10 (or 20) radio talk shows in Oregon? It’s pretty simple to find this answer when you’re dealing with syndicated talk shows (e.g., Limbaugh, Frankin, Hannity, etc). However, we are looking to find the ratings for local talk shows. Where would be the best place to look? Ask a reference librarian? Call a local newspaper? Any good websites? Thanks.
Arbitron measures audience by “dayparts”; that is, by hours of the day. This is the information you likely want, but it’s proprietary, and radio stations pay dearly for this information. The journalism department at the University of Oregon probably has access to Arbitron ratings, or can at least point you to somewhere you can get it for free.
However, Radio and Records lists ratings for stations in every US radio market. This will tell you who the top talk stations in your market are, and you might also contact those stations for ratings information. (The R&R link goes right to the ratings page.)
Robin