Study Guide for


The Ratings and Survey Services



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The Ratings and Survey Services


  1. ratings & survey services estimate where stations stand in the market

  2. Arbitron currently leading ratings service

    1. covers more than 250 markets, with 2,700 clients

    2. survey follows elaborate procedure to ensure accuracy

      1. parameters of survey area established

        1. Metro Survey Area (MSA) - city/urban center

        2. Total Survey Area (TSA) - surrounding communities

        3. Areas of Dominant Influence (ADI) - primary listening locations

      2. sample base of individuals randomly selected

        1. samples change weekly during 3- to 4-week survey period

      3. preplacement letter sent to solicit participation

      4. follow-up call by interviewer to get go-ahead

        1. describe purpose of survey

        2. find out how many household residents age 12+

      5. 7-day diary mailed (see samples in textbook)

      6. respondees log listening habits

        1. time (day/part) tuned to station

        2. station call letters or program name

        3. AM or FM

        4. where listening occurred (car, home, work, elsewhere)

        5. age, sex, area of residence

      7. more follow-up calls/letters to assure system is working

      8. completed diaries mailed to central location in Beltsville, MD for processing & computation

        1. 65% of returned diaries usable

  3. Birch/Scarborough was rival to Arbitron from late 1970s to 1991

    1. called equal numbers of male & female listeners age 12+ to gather data

    2. offered 7 report formats, including computerized data retrieval system



Qualitative and Quantitative Data

  1. as stations proliferate, more detailed data needed

  2. advertisers & agencies less comfortable buying just ratings numbers, look for audience qualities

  3. lifestyles, values, attitudes, behavior are key data in addition to age, sex



In-House Research Techniques

  1. stations conduct own audience surveys to reduce cost of ratings services

  2. combine telephone, computer/e-mail, face-to-face, mail techniques

    1. telephone most popular, expedient, less costly

  3. major market outlets often employ research director



Research Deficits

  1. ratings stats are only estimates of listening audience

  2. sampling methods questioned

    1. minorities more often nontelephone households

    2. survey techniques adjusted to avoid “missed” audiences

  3. ratings data should only direct, not dictate, what a station does

    1. Porter, Ridgeway, Ozman, Bremkamp quotes on placing too much emphasis on ratings reports



How Agencies Buy Radio

  1. media buyers use ratings to determine most cost-effective buy for clients

    1. cost per point (CPP)

      1. most common method

      2. Price quote explaining CPP

    2. cost per thousand (CPM)

      1. cost to reach 1,000 listeners at given station

      2. divide number of people reached into cost of commercial



Careers in Research

  1. increase in number of media research companies (today more than 150 research houses nationwide) has created growing job market

  2. college degree essential to work in research

    1. Porter, Balon, Noonan, Hagen quotes on formal training

    2. courses in communications, research methods, statistics, marketing, computers, business are useful

  3. research experience, radio background are valuable assets

  4. researchers need inquisitiveness, objectivity, perceptiveness, people skills



The Future of Research in Radio

  1. experts agree demand for research will continue to grow

    1. demographic targets, formats continue to splinter

    2. more competition in already overcrowded markets

  2. technology will encourage in-house methods & improve nature, quality of research



Appendix 6A: RAB’s Radio Research Glossary

Appendix 6B: Arbitron’s Glossary of Terms
Ted Bolton feature box
Chapter 7: Promotion
Past and Purpose

  1. radio stations advertise themselves to keep listeners interested & tuned

  2. small station promotions counter other media, especially local newspaper

  3. large market promotions help station differentiate itself from other stations

  4. radio recognized value of promotion early, using print media, remote broadcasts, billboards, placards to reach public

  5. ratings prove importance of effective promotions

  6. Morriss quote on making a station salable

  7. competition makes today’s stations promote themselves continually



Promotions Practical and Bizarre

  1. idea is to achieve “top-of-the-mind awareness” in listeners

  2. bizarre promotions gone awry can tarnish station’s image

  3. cash & other prizes spark audience interest

  4. low-budget giveaways also useful



The Promotion Director’s/Manager’s Job

  1. not always a full-time job at smaller stations, where promotional duties may be assumed by PD/GM

  2. needed skills

    1. knowledge, understanding of station’s audience

    2. background in research & marketing

    3. writing, conceptual skills

    4. versatility

    5. familiarity with graphic art

    6. knowledge of FCC regulations covering promotions

  3. ideas can be “borrowed” from trades, other stations & adapted

  4. prizes acquired through trade or purchase



Whom Production Directors Hire

  1. college education important

  2. experience is golden

  3. familiarity with programming an asset

  4. wit, imagination helpful



Types of Promotion

  1. station promotions try to retain & expand listenership

  2. on-air promotions most common form

    1. call letters convey station’s personality

      1. slogans frequently linked to call letters in on-air ID

      2. bookend: call letters before & after all breaks between music

      3. graft: call letters with all informational announcements

    2. contests

      1. easy to understand, with clear rules

      2. entertainment value for players & nonplayers alike

      3. compatible with station’s sound

      4. timely, relevant to audience lifestyles, prizes attractive to audience

      5. challenge listener’s imagination

        1. Morriss quote on contest creativity

    3. promos highlighting programs, personalities, special features & events

  3. off-air promotions to attract new listeners (see samples in textbook)

    1. billboards must be eye-catching, simple, well-placed

    2. bus cards, benches, transit shelters in cities

    3. newspapers most frequently used method

    4. television costly but effective

    5. bumper stickers

      1. primarily to increase call letter awareness

      2. often tied in with on-air promotions

    6. giveaway items bearing logo, call letters (T-shirts, key chains, etc.)

    7. discount cards

    8. sponsoring special activities (fairs, sporting events, concerts, etc.)

    9. personal appearances by station personalities

    10. remote broadcasts

    11. direct mail, faxing, telemarketing



Sales Promotion

  1. promotion director works with sales to recruit advertisers to underwrite the sometimes substantial cost of promotions

  2. share both expenses & attention gained



Research and Planning

  1. need thorough knowledge of station, audience, objective of promotion

  2. understanding of product, consumer, competition essential

    1. compatible with station’s sound, format

    2. relevant to audience lifestyle

    3. fresh enough idea to attract, sustain interest

  3. simplicity: if it takes a long time to explain, it’s not appropriate for radio

  4. plan before implementing a promotion to avoid disaster

    1. Lima quote on making projections

  5. WSUB’s “Night Out” promo as a model of sound planning, financing



Budgeting Promotions

  1. cost projections included in promotion planning

  2. promotion a station does is commensurate with level of competition

  3. Taylor quote on no need to expend large sums

  4. trade-outs often defray some costs of promotions



Promotions and the FCC

  1. broadcasters obligated to operate in the public interest

  2. Section 73.1216 of FCC regulations governs promotions

    1. can’t assume form of a lottery, where contestants pay to play

    2. can’t endanger life or property

    3. must disclose material terms of all contests & promotions

    4. can’t mislead listeners concerning nature of prizes

    5. rigging contests can result in substantial penalty or license revocation

  3. prizes valued at $600 or more require filing IRS form 1099-MISC



Broadcast Promotion and Marketing Executives

  1. BPME provides info, services to station promotion directors worldwide



Chapter 8: Traffic and Billing
The Air Supply

  1. each commercial slot on a station is called an availability

  2. availabilities constitute station’s salable inventory

    1. size of inventory depends on the amount of airtime allocated for commercial matter

  3. full-time station must fill more than 10,000 minutes every week

    1. about 3,000 minutes of commercials per week

    2. slightly fewer commercials on “more music-less talk” stations

  4. most spots sold are 30 or 60 seconds long

    1. 3,000 to 6,000 commercial slots/availabilities to be sold each week

  5. traffic manager controls & is accountable for broadcast time inventory



The Traffic Manager

  1. prepares daily log

    1. schedule of programming elements (commercials, features, PSAs)

    2. tells on-air operators what to broadcast & at what time

    3. record of what was actually aired, for billing purposes

  2. must log each ad order as specified

  3. make sure each client is treated fairly & equitably

    1. rotate spot to as many quarter-hour segments of daypart as possible over the run of the commercial

    2. maintain record of when client’s spots are aired

    3. keep adequate space between spots of competitors

  4. make sure copy & production tapes arrive at station on time

  5. Hildreth quote on added pressures of fourth-quarter traffic management

  6. traffic works closely with programming & sales depts.

    1. programming depends on logs to guide on-air personnel

    2. sales depends on traffic to inform them of existing availabilities & process ad orders onto the air



The Traffic Manager’s Credentials

  1. need patience, eye for detail, ability to work under pressure, people skills, typing skills, computer familiarity

  2. many trained in-house, coming from administrative or clerical ranks

  3. position traditionally filled more often by women
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