Field Notes Inside an Integrated Communications Agency

Rock and classic rock are up. Men and those who are employed listen more. Urban takes a hit. Younger audiences are not measuring up.
 
Some formats fare better than others, but radio overall looks to benefit from new data from Arbitron’s portable people meters. At least that’s the early take on results in Philadelphia and Houston where the PPM is in use.

It should not be surprising to see radio audiences increase in PPM markets. The samples sizes are larger and the method of data capture is more reliable than a diary. What’s interesting is how the data can challenge some fundamental beliefs about radio.
 
For example, marketers have often looked to radio as a frequency medium. Larger audiences and less time spent listening indicate that radio may have greater reach potential than previously thought.
 
It’s probably too early to apply any broad generalities to local markets not yet measured by PPM. In our fall radio buys, it’s important to have a good mix of stations and formats to balance out the inequities due to different forms of measurement. These trends will vary based on market demographics and the specific target audiences for individual buys.