Is 'Arbitron' Too 'Arbitrary'

When David Lee Roth replaced Howard Stern on several Radio stations (mostly on the new england plus some within the midwest) a flare increased. Not really a tiny one, either. It was big news.

Huge radio news.

And the sunshine in the flare illuminated one question particularly... just how long was parent company, Infinity, likely to decide to try 'decide' when the Roth Show was profitable enough to allow them to hold onto? Difficult to answer because radio's Arbitron ratings only emerge Four times annually. You heard right, radio listeners. Spring. Summer. Fall. And winter.

That's it.

As frequently as you are changing wardrobes, radio finds itself needing to release its precious numbers. Numbers which certainly affect lives. Particularly the lives of individuals starting new shows, without doubt.

So, while movie executive release their box office numbers for the whole weekend on FRIDAY nights (that is just amazing and extremely accurate) even though television honchos hold onto their golden 'overnights' even though all of us every single day experience what Google has been doing when it comes to instantaneous recent results for internet advertising... there stands radio. Defiantly reporting its ratings a scant Four times annually.

So what is the reason behind this media madness? Exactly why is radio so s-l-o-w?

It appears as if radio listeners have stronger and longer habits compared to television and movie audiences.

What we often do as listeners is 'surf the dial' and incredibly slowly become VERY mounted on certain programs and stations. This really is habitual. Just like insurance providers understand how many 78 year olds will die of cancer this season (sorry for that thought) radio insiders know precisely just how long 46 years old moms pay attention to "Easy Listening" every afternoon.

Radio stations pitch advertisers Much differently than Tv producers as well as their ad agencies do.

To put all that into perspective, even after Roth had gotten fired after just one Arbitron book had emerge, Stern himself admitted that Roth hadn't received time to 'get found. ' That does not enough traction have been established.

That's radio ratings for ya. Surf's up.

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