Ignore Boomer Advertising at Your Station's own Peril

[landtuna]

So, your point... and specific citation of the PPM... is invalid.

David, I think what you saw was males 18-34 listening to their car radios during evening drive time. And that is exactly what I opined several posts ago - that the only time they listen is during drive time (and that time doesn't last a whole long time on the average).

But maybe I overlooked something. How does TSL compare to PUR? Seems like apples to oranges to me.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

Sorry but you're really just making up a lot of stuff there. Video games don't engage players? Are you crazy? The rest of your post is just more of the typical rant.

That's not what he wrote, he said video games do engage players, reread please.

...and yours too is just more of the typical rant. However we do agree that radio needs to change. I believe you said giving the listener more control...that's a good idea. Just how do you do it?

For what it's worth I agree that throwing more jocks at the problem won't increase listening. However good jocks with something to say other than cheesy liners would be a good start.

 

[davideduardo]

David, I think what you saw was males 18-34 listening to their car radios during evening drive time. And that is exactly what I opined several posts ago - that the only time they listen is during drive time (and that time doesn't last a whole long time on the average).

In the last diary surveys in LA, just 3 years ago, just under 30% of male 18-34 listening was at home, and 36% was in the car and the remaining 33% at work.

The PPM does not distinguish between at work and at home listening, just "at home" and "away." But in the last PPM books, a quarter of 18-34 listening was at home. So, while in home has declined a bit, much of that decline in all cases is due to methodology: in the diary survey, if a diarykeeper did not indicate listening location, "at home" was the default. So I feel rather safe in saying that the listening by men in that age group is not "mostly in the car" or anywhere close to that.

As to daypart, the PUR in mornings averages 12, mid-days is around 14.3 and afternoons about 14.0. The comparison by daypart has to be on PUR since daypart TSL varies as a function of the number of hours in the daypart, which is different in mid-days.

So all listening is NOT in PM drive... there is in fact more during mid-days.

But maybe I overlooked something. How does TSL compare to PUR? Seems like apples to oranges to me.

Persons listening to radio shows the average percentage of persons in a demo using radio throughout a time period. That is the best way to compare radio usage vs. other age groups, and as I showed, there is essentially no difference in 18-34 male PUR and 12+.

In TSL, the figure for Men 18 34 in La is 13:42 weekly, while the 12+ figure is 13:41. So the difference is one minute per week.

 

[davideduardo]

The PPM does not distinguish between at work and at home listening, just "at home" and "away."

That should read "at work" and "in the car." All out of home listening is combined, but we can see at home by itself in PPM.

 

[TVradioguru]

For what it's worth I agree that throwing more jocks at the problem won't increase listening. However good jocks with something to say other than cheesy liners would be a good start.

But that doesn't jibe with what independent audience research and PPM ratings indicate. Granted there are some 'entertainment' or personality based morning shows, local and syndicated that do quite well, but if you are trying to compare the traditional disc jockey personality around a music-based show, then the answer is no, the average listener prefers minimal talk. Stopping-down to take listener phone calls or chat about something is a TSL killer by today's measurement. Want to give the music listener a reason to tune out? Break the music flow with chatty air talent.

The vast majority of those who measure the talent of a jock based on whether they 'hit-the-post' or give time and temp in a unique way, are either hobbyists or ex-radio people. Needless to say those who find 'jock' techniques interesting are a tiny minority of the radio listeners a station would be interested in reaching, or not.

As I believe BigA said; radio has evolved. Just because it doesn't sound the way you remember it, doesn't mean it's circling the drain.

 

[landtuna]

In the last diary surveys in LA, just 3 years ago, just under 30% of male 18-34 listening was at home, and 36% was in the car and the remaining 33% at work.

Does "listening at work" have much value? In virtually every instance I'm aware of radio at work is nothing but background noise. I used it while programming to drown out the noise from the cubicles around me but I was thinking about the program I was writing the whole time. Outside of places like loading docks and car washes who has time to pay attention to the radio at work?

 

[davideduardo]

In the last diary surveys in LA, just 3 years ago, just under 30% of male 18-34 listening was at home, and 36% was in the car and the remaining 33% at work.

Does "listening at work" have much value? In virtually every instance I'm aware of radio at work is nothing but background noise. I used it while programming to drown out the noise from the cubicles around me but I was thinking about the program I was writing the whole time. Outside of places like loading docks and car washes who has time to pay attention to the radio at work?

Most work is not done in an office. It's a delivery person alone in a truck, or garage mechanic or a salesperson (that's both work and car), an employee in a small store, a person in the stockroom, and so on. And advertisers value impressions, no matter where they occur. Personally, I have never seen an ad buy that was based on a listening location.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

For what it's worth I agree that throwing more jocks at the problem won't increase listening. However good jocks with something to say other than cheesy liners would be a good start.

But that doesn't jibe with what independent audience research and PPM ratings indicate. Granted there are some 'entertainment' or personality based morning shows, local and syndicated that do quite well, but if you are trying to compare the traditional disc jockey personality around a music-based show, then the answer is no, the average listener prefers minimal talk. Stopping-down to take listener phone calls or chat about something is a TSL killer by today's measurement. Want to give the music listener a reason to tune out? Break the music flow with chatty air talent.

The vast majority of those who measure the talent of a jock based on whether they 'hit-the-post' or give time and temp in a unique way, are either hobbyists or ex-radio people. Needless to say those who find 'jock' techniques interesting are a tiny minority of the radio listeners a station would be interested in reaching, or not.

As I believe BigA said; radio has evolved. Just because it doesn't sound the way you remember it, doesn't mean it's circling the drain.

Okay valid points. In that case what can be done at a radio station to make it rise above the rest? Also since it's so easy to just listen to my iPod or CD's why should I listen to a radio station that might play some songs I don't like? One that's going to stop twice an hour with 7 units of commercials. Has radio become just an appliance?

Can I also assume the jock or human element is no longer required? Might as well crank up the automation and let it roll. The role of the jock was more than hitting the post. They were the presenters who sold us on the music they were about to play with their enthusiasm.

Granted it's not a scientific study but I hear more and more people both young and old who are dissatisfied with radio today. I know you can't please everyone but I don't find people who are passionate about the radio station they listen to. Most just spin the dial till they find a song they like. Don't take offense or blow off this post because I'm really trying to understand.

 

[TheBigA]

Has radio become just an appliance?

What's wrong with being an appliance? I can't live without mine. I'd say that's a compliment.

Can I also assume the jock or human element is no longer required?

Depends on the format.

Granted it's not a scientific study but I hear more and more people both young and old who are dissatisfied with radio today.

Uh huh. Everyone wants it their way. Thanks to Burger King. Radio can't always play each individual person's favorite songs. That's what an iPod does. Radio isn't a personalized music service. Compared to that, radio sucks. But there's nothing radio can do to make it more personalized.

 

[TVradioguru]

In that case what can be done at a radio station to make it rise above the rest? Also since it's so easy to just listen to my iPod or CD's why should I listen to a radio station that might play some songs I don't like? One that's going to stop twice an hour with 7 units of commercials. Has radio become just an appliance?

Can I also assume the jock or human element is no longer required? Might as well crank up the automation and let it roll. The role of the jock was more than hitting the post. They were the presenters who sold us on the music they were about to play with their enthusiasm.

Granted it's not a scientific study but I hear more and more people both young and old who are dissatisfied with radio today. I know you can't please everyone but I don't find people who are passionate about the radio station they listen to. Most just spin the dial till they find a song they like. Don't take offense or blow off this post because I'm really trying to understand.

Well one could argue that some radio stations rise above the rest every day, those are the ratings and revenue winners who appeal most to the sought after demographic. Which illustrates a comparative point.. Back when radio was the only game in town, demographics were broken down into two demographics; teens and everyone else. Now you have many more niche' formats appealing to a much narrower demographic, as pointed out in the beginning of this topic; typically 18-34 or 25-54 adults. When you look back into the memory bank, I think you'd remember the debate was not which is preferred, radio or making your own playlist on your IPod, but which radio station plays your favorite music more often. Obviously if the choice is made today, anyone would choose their own playlist.

Is radio an appliance? Really when you think about it, yes it always has been. Remember radio was developed not just to entertain people, but to sell advertising, in particular radios and appliances by companies who not only owned the radio station but also made the radios and appliances. RCA, Westinghouse, General Electric, Crosley, all big companies who owned stations and sold radios. IPods are also a form of appliance. It stores music or whatever, then plays it in the order you prefer when you want.

Are jocks needed? As BigA said, it depends on format and what else goes on in a market. If you have a bunch of stations battling it out with talk-based morning shows, maybe more music sets you apart not too mention saves a lot of expense. A lot depends on the market and how much research is done to stay in tune with the needs of the listener. Small markets struggle with finding and keeping large market caliber sounding talent. As mentioned earlier, if given the choice between a satellite-delivered, large market sounding talent with researched music, and a local talent trying to act like large market talent, the satellite or automated format wins. Not only that, but most local listeners don't know, nor care that the talent on their local station may be actually in Colorado.