• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

(Obscure) Public/noncommercial stations and Arbitron rating results

I

icybluelake

WKCR, WFMU, WNYU/WFDU... do these stations not appear in Arbitron ratings (under the current system) because they don't subscribe, or because they literally don't register a blip in the surveys?

I can see WNYC, WNYE, WBGO, WFUV, WBAI, WSOU regularly in the results, but ask the question since these are the public/noncommercial stations I'd kind of expect (mostly) to see appear there somewhere. Not sure if all of them are subscribers however. Thanks.
 
All stations can receive a free PPM encoder. My college station shows up in the Middlesex-Somerset-Union ratings but we don't subscribe.
 
Encoding is one issue although the cost to be encoded is minimal to a station in a PPM market--encoders are free and a station can install one in the course of regular transmitter maintenance (presuming they do it)...the other issue is a matter of whether the programming and the signal coverage combine to pull in enough people to get at least a 0.3 share in most top 100 markets, or a 0.1 share in the top 5 markets.

Usually the principal NPR-affiliated news-talker in a large market will draw more than a 1 share, and sometimes hit a 3 to 5 share and crack the top 10 in 12+. Other stations will depend on pulling in a sufficient sampling and TSL to become at least a blip in the numbers--often a harder task than it looks.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom