Dec Trends 2022

[Rusty Bridges]

You should be looking at the data you're getting about your audience. That's what John Sebastian is doing in Phoenix. Here's what Sebastian posted on his Facebook:

December Nielsen Monthly
Wow Factor best results ever!
55+ #2 Music Station All Week 2nd only to KESZ (Christmas music)
55+ #1 Music Station AM Drive!
55+ #2 Music Station Middays
55+ #2 Music Station PM Drive
55+ #1 All Stations All Weekend!
6+ 4.2 Share Best ever All Week (#3 Music Station 6+!!!)
Weekly Time Spent Listening #1 Music Station 6+ and 55+!
Congrats to the WOW team and everyone at Desert Valley Media Group.

These are impressive numbers, but it would be no surprise to find that a significant segment of 55+ is comprised of listeners 65+ ... much as not so long ago, Oldies formats that showed impressive 25-54 ratings had a gargantuan number of listeners 50-54.

Additionally, just as an observation, Dave Eduardo some time ago had some curiously strong comments about Sebastian and the format of these stations. Those comments were interesting on a number of levels.

 

[TheBigA]

These are impressive numbers, but it would be no surprise to find that a significant segment of 55+ is comprised of listeners 65+ ... much as not so long ago, Oldies formats that showed impressive 25-54 ratings had a gargantuan number of listeners 50-54.

I know a lot of people who are very dedicated to finding a way to make the format reach younger demos, but most of the younger folks prefer classic rock. The dentist lectures people that the way to do it is not to let DJs turn it into memory lane.

 

[tbolt909]

They get buys if they are efficiently priced. How the **** do you think you know anything about radio sales? You don't know. I do. I see it every day. I was a top-biller at ETM. I am the only ****ing radio company in Buffalo making profit and growing.

Get out of the god damn 80's. the 25-54 "sweet spot" no longer exists. It's gone. Take it from me dude. It's gone. What ****ing 25 year old likes radio??

Get your sales knowledge straight

What are you raving incoherently about? The ad agencies are the ones looking at 25--54. I could care less.

If you're making money serving an older audience, that's good. You seem pissed off because you have an Oldies format on the air. Yeah, 25 year olds aren't listening to that. You claim that everywhere you go, WECK is the only station being played. In your distorted view, the only reason WECK doesn't have an 8 share is because Nielsen is rigging the results...

 

[Rusty Bridges]

But did he still give you the ticket?

He gave the blue a t-shirt, a tour of the station and five no charge PSAs in morning drive.

 

[davideduardo]

He gave the blue a t-shirt, a tour of the station and five no charge PSAs in morning drive.

That is like the sales manager who was held up: the thief got $120 in cash and $500 in trade.

 

[davideduardo]

David, you always seem to be the level headed one who can explain things well when it comes to ratings. I just received these AQH ratings an hourago

I try... let's see if I can help a bit here.

David, I just received these AQH Ratings an hour ago from Dec . Can you please explain why these never look this way when the actual ratings come out in a few days?


View attachment 2484

My impression is that you are getting "raw" data in the diary advance report, while the final report is weighted in each "stratification variable" (age groups, ethnic groups, gender, county, geozones, income levels, education levels) to make the sample be a miniature mirror of the market.

The initial release is what they got back before "balancing it out".

In your case, if they got more than the quota of persons over 55, before weighting the results will make you look better than the balanced reality once the adjust the undersampled demos up and the over-sampled ones down.

If that does not satisfy your concerned curiosity, ask follow up questions. What I don't understand is why they even release the unweighted data. All it does is confuse everyone and make them think that sample is bad. Most of us really don't want to see how the sausage is made...

 

[four4rock]

I try... let's see if I can help a bit here.

My impression is that you are getting "raw" data in the diary advance report, while the final report is weighted in each "stratification variable" (age groups, ethnic groups, gender, county, geozones, income levels, education levels) to make the sample be a miniature mirror of the market.

The initial release is what they got back before "balancing it out".

In your case, if they got more than the quota of persons over 55, before weighting the results will make you look better than the balanced reality once the adjust the undersampled demos up and the over-sampled ones down.

If that does not satisfy your concerned curiosity, ask follow up questions. What I don't understand is why they even release the unweighted data. All it does is confuse everyone and make them think that sample is bad. Most of us really don't want to see how the sausage is made...

Well, I'd think - certainly *hope* - that along with the numbers, there'd be a descriptive of exactly what the numbers are. Not just "Hey, here's a bunch of numbers. Have at it!" It'd be interesting to see the descriptive. Seems like that would tell the real story. (Kinda like the notes to an SEC filing is where the real insightful story lies... rather than simply the financial statements.)

 

[Rusty Bridges]

Well, I'd think - certainly *hope* - that along with the numbers, there'd be a descriptive of exactly what the numbers are. Not just "Hey, here's a bunch of numbers. Have at it!" It'd be interesting to see the descriptive. Seems like that would tell the real story. (Kinda like the notes to an SEC filing is where the real insightful story lies... rather than simply the financial statements.)

One of the responsibilities of the local Nielsen rep is to explain and assist; and if the local rep can't sufficiently explain the numbers to his/her client, the local rep should join the client, by way of conference or video call, with one of the many reps at Nielsen HQ who can take the time and explain what the numbers represent.

A number of posters here have taken the time to explain, in easy-to-understand terms, the concept of weighting; Cume vs. Quarter Hour, Rating vs. Share, and AQH Shares vs AQH Persons. People who've been in the business for any length of time, sales and on-air as well as radio aficionados, should have at least a basic understanding of the metrics that so very often play an important role in determining their station's financial health and how much they get paid.