Every so often, radio stations will play an ad that says something like, “WXYZ, Cleveland’s most listened-to radio station!”
How do they know this? Is there something akin to Nielsen boxes that determine radio station ratings? How do radio stations know how many listeners their advertisers are
reaching?
Radio ratings services predated TV (as should be obvious).
Nielson and Arbitron actually got their start with radio and still do listener surveys. I participated once a year or so ago; it required I write down the call letters of the radio stations I listened to. That was a general survey; there are months when they ask for more extensive records. All the data is put into their “book,” which is used to base advertising rates. The general results are usually published in the local paper.
Arbitron handles most radio ratings
We participated in one of their surveys earlier this year. Everyone in your household ages 12 and older keep a weeklong diary. Noting time, station and where you are listening from (Home, car, office). After a week you mail them back in. The diary also has some demographic info that you need to fill out.
Here is a link to their site www.arbitron.com/radiosurvey.htm
There’s Arbitron and there’s Scarborough. Scarborough tells more “stories.” Wanna know how many furniture buyers who own a new home and make $75,000 - $100,000 a year with one or more kids in college listen to your radio station? You can look it up there.
Arbitron is merely ratings. How many people listen to what radio station when and how often. You can tell their age and sex, but that’s about it. Comes out quarterly and is the Bible when it comes to ad rates.
Of course there isn’t a radio station out there who isn’t number one in the market. Numbers are funny that way. What? We’re eleventh in the market for 12+? What about 25-54? hmm…seventh. OK, what about women 35-54? Who hoo! Number one! Number one! This isn’t specifically lying, as they most certainly are number one. Also, since some radio stations demographics happen to be women 35-54, they could care less about how many teenages listen.
There’s actually a much easier way to measure ratings, and I’m surprised nobody is really taking advantage of it in the U.S. I forgot exactly what it’s called, but it’s kind of like a radar dector in that you can stand on the side of the road, point it at cars, and see what station they’re listening to.
I know it’s used in Canada, but that’s about all I know about it. I just remember Howard Stern talking about it a couple years ago on his show.