MRG Evening Meeting: The Future Of Radio Audience Measurement
A range of industry figures gathered at last night’s MRG evening meeting to hear the Wireless Group’s Bill Ridley, Carat’s James Smyth and Justin Sampson of the RAB discuss the contentious issue of radio audience measurement.
Following Kelvin MacKenzie’s renewed criticism of RAJAR’s diary system, Ridley explained that the Wireless Group has been trialing a new wristwatch audience measurement device, which he claims provides a more accurate picture of exactly what radio stations people listen to.
Ridley explained that tests, which were carried out across the UK, show that weekly reach for the majority of radio stations increased by up to 7 times under the new electronic audience measurement system. He said: “Compared to RAJAR, people listen to more stations for shorter times. This is good news for the industry and great news for advertisers.”
According to Ridley, trials of the radio controlled device show that speech-based radio stations and middle-of-the-road music stations are “under reported” by RAJAR. He spoke of the “urgent” need for a new currency of audience measurement, saying: “Everyday that goes by is a day that advertisers are not getting the best deal. Changes need to be made now.”
James Smyth, associate director of Carat Insight, defended RAJAR’s diary system, pointing out that it is a robust and reliable currency that has served the industry well. He acknowledged the need for change, emphasising that RAJAR’s diary method would struggle to deal with the increasing digital audience, but stressed that the costs involved in adopting an electronic audience measurement system would be massive.
He said: “TalkSPORT’s initiative has brought the debate out into the open, providing the initiative that the industry needs. However, in the meantime Carat wholeheartedly supports RAJAR.
Justin Sampson, managing director of the RAB, was the last to take the floor and was also stern in his defence of RAJAR. However, he spoke of the changing radio audience, pointing out that an increasing number of people are listening to the radio over the internet, via mobile phones and even through PDAs and handheld games consoles. He said: “We need an audience measurement system that takes all these new devices into consideration.
He acknowledged that electronic audience measurement is perceived as being more effective than paper diaries and concluded by reminding delegates that: “Electronic measurement is a fundamental part of RAJAR’s testing programme.”
MRG: www.mrg.org.uk
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