PPM Numbers

[calguy]

I heard that the 1st measurment from the People Meter for LA is out today. They're not official from what I hear, just what ARB calls pre-currency. Anyone know what the results are?

 

[oaktree]

Next Thursday ... not today.

Houston, Philly today ... other standard books as well. Spring books next week.

 

[calguy]

Hmm, I heard that they're getting "pre" pre-currency. I have a friend who heard that the top 5 are now all English formats.

 

[davideduardo]

Hmm, I heard that they're getting "pre" pre-currency. I have a friend who heard that the top 5 are now all English formats.

Yes, you are right. This morning's release is test data, followed by July and August pre-currency releases and Spetember as the first currency book.

3 of the top 10 are Spanish, all owned by one company. The shares are so compacted that only a tenth of a point separates 8 of the top 10, too. There are more Spanish shares in 18-35 and 18-49 and 25-54 than before.

 

[oaktree]

Here's preliminary "test" data of the Top 10 over-1 million weekly cume stations ... (Again, these 12+ numbers are beauty contest winners and, essentially, worthless. The "pre" pre-currency cume and share numbers will be subject to a shakedown when released. These figures show the difference between "diary" and "PPM" cume only, and are, as David has often and accurately pointed out, mean little.

Comparison shows diary Spring '08 Phase while PPM "pre" shows only June '08.

http://ftp.media.radcity.net/ZMST/LAPPMChart.pdf

(Courtesy: Arbitron)

 

[davideduardo]

Here's preliminary "test" data of the Top 10 over-1 million weekly cume stations ... (Again, these 12+ numbers are beauty contest winners and, essentially, worthless. The "pre" pre-currency cume and share numbers will be subject to a shakedown when released. These figures show the difference between "diary" and "PPM" cume only, and are, as David has often and accurately pointed out, mean little.

Remember also that the PPM has daily and weekly cume; daily is the component used to calculate share.

And we actually have "real" numbers for June, fully viewable in the PPM Analysis Tool.

 

[calguy]

Hmm, I heard that they're getting "pre" pre-currency. I have a friend who heard that the top 5 are now all English formats.

Yes, you are right. This morning's release is test data, followed by July and August pre-currency releases and Spetember as the first currency book.

3 of the top 10 are Spanish, all owned by one company. The shares are so compacted that only a tenth of a point separates 8 of the top 10, too. There are more Spanish shares in 18-35 and 18-49 and 25-54 than before.

Thanks David, I figured that you would know. Guess my friend was wrong about Spanish stations showing up. From looking at Houston, Philly and New York I was pretty sure that the stations would be super close together. It'll be interesting to see where thiis goes...

 

[radioresearcher]

Hmm, I heard that they're getting "pre" pre-currency. I have a friend who heard that the top 5 are now all English formats.

Yes, you are right. This morning's release is test data, followed by July and August pre-currency releases and Spetember as the first currency book.

3 of the top 10 are Spanish, all owned by one company. The shares are so compacted that only a tenth of a point separates 8 of the top 10, too. There are more Spanish shares in 18-35 and 18-49 and 25-54 than before.

Thanks David, I figured that you would know. Guess my friend was wrong about Spanish stations showing up. From looking at Houston, Philly and New York I was pretty sure that the stations would be super close together. It'll be interesting to see where thiis goes...

Two stations that I know the board likes are not looking good - KSWD and Indie. Eclectic isn't going to work with this methodology. PPM really supports good fundamental, hit driven programming. It's nice to see a measurement system that rewards good radio and shows some reality with TSL.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

Two stations that I know the board likes are not looking good - KSWD and Indie. Eclectic isn't going to work with this methodology. PPM really supports good fundamental, hit driven programming. It's nice to see a measurement system that rewards good radio and shows some reality with TSL.

The reasons for this have been well documented over the last several months. I like both stations so it is discouraging to say this, but PPM is going to come down on their heads like a sledgehammer.

Think about each station's target audience. Although they are slightly different (Indie: younger, hipper, "plugged-in"; KSWD: Older, professional, often family heads who don't have a lot of time for radio) they do share one thing in common. Each has disposable income to get their respective music from somewhere else, particularly IPODs.

Another thought (somewhat separate topic) - Why is it there is an outcry when PPM reduces ratings for Spanish language formats, but not for non-hit English ones? One gets the feeling the backlash against PPM is politically motivated, or at least gores the ox of the politically connected?

 

[davideduardo]

Another thought (somewhat separate topic) - Why is it there is an outcry when PPM reduces ratings for Spanish language formats, but not for non-hit English ones? One gets the feeling the backlash against PPM is politically motivated, or at least gores the ox of the politically connected?

The issue among Hispanic market broadcasters is in making sure every cell is proportional, which is not always the case.

The fact is that in 25-54, 18-49 and 18-34, the PPM in LA shows more total spanish language station shares than the diary.

 

[LAFMDJ]

Biggest news here is...

The new LA preliminary PPM numbers show significant cume growth over the diary system.

Top rated stations....KIIS, KOST, KRTH, KBIG, KLVE, KTWV, KCBS all have double the cume of the diary!

As long suspected, this means we have been underselling ourselves for years!

 

[davideduardo]

Biggest news here is...

The new LA preliminary PPM numbers show significant cume growth over the diary system.

Top rated stations....KIIS, KOST, KRTH, KBIG, KLVE, KTWV, KCBS all have double the cume of the diary!

As long suspected, this means we have been underselling ourselves for years!

Rates are not cume based, but delivery (AQH) based and the additional cume contruibutes less than 10% of the AQH.

 

[LAFMDJ]

David,

Thanks for the info, I realize most buyers buy actual "Ratings" but I was actually refering to our industry as a whole. After all these years we find out our stations have double the cume!

 

[davideduardo]

David,

Thanks for the info, I realize most buyers buy actual "Ratings" but I was actually refering to our industry as a whole. After all these years we find out our stations have double the cume!

Still, that extra cume is mostly people who hear a station a few minutes due to being in a store where the radio is on, being in a car with a kid who puts on a CHR while going to school, etc. Not long or useful audience. If you take that half of the audience away, AQH persons, share and rating only decline 8% for the average station.

 

[djmimi]

David, since you are knowledgeable about such things, please look at this post.
You are saying that Arbitron is measuring the online stream as being a different station than the terrestrial signal. Does that mean if someone from ANOTHER town (say NYC) is equipped with a PPM that their PPM will register a station they are listening to, even if it's from Los Angeles?

That would be really cool, if you think about it. I have often thought that radio companies are very short-sighted about the online universe. When Free-FM still existed in abundance, I mentioned to several friends in management at CBS that they should have a website for "talk" that it would be the portal for TALK in the same way that YouTube is the portal for videos. Of course, being the lowly DJ that I was (albeit one big techie type, I was always "tech support" at my previous station), my suggestion was duly ignored. But from the inception of the internet, I still think Radio companies should have been thinking about online as the new universe of broadcasting.

 

[djmimi]

after all...look how much YouTube, Amazon and Ebay are worth...wow.

 

[davideduardo]

David, since you are knowledgeable about such things, please look at this post.
You are saying that Arbitron is measuring the online stream as being a different station than the terrestrial signal. Does that mean if someone from ANOTHER town (say NYC) is equipped with a PPM that their PPM will register a station they are listening to, even if it's from Los Angeles?

Yes, correct.

That would be really cool, if you think about it. I have often thought that radio companies are very short-sighted about the online universe. When Free-FM still existed in abundance, I mentioned to several friends in management at CBS that they should have a website for "talk" that it would be the portal for TALK in the same way that YouTube is the portal for videos. Of course, being the lowly DJ that I was (albeit one big techie type, I was always "tech support" at my previous station), my suggestion was duly ignored. But from the inception of the internet, I still think Radio companies should have been thinking about online as the new universe of broadcasting.

The issue is less simple. The buying model for radio is local. So the way ad buys are made has to change. Then, if every station streamed, you would be in competition with 14,000 stations as well as every web streamer. What you have is disruptive technology where in the intermediate term of a few to five years, nobody wins.

 

[djmimi]

True, that is, if you want to treat online radio the same way as terrestrial radio. I was thinking more in terms of a "website" entity. Something that offers something other than just simple online streaming, but co-existing interactive content, making it more interesting than just offering audio. So, for "radio companies" to diversify into online entertainment, they'd have to be thinking outside the box. The majority of radio stations have the most incredibly BORING websites.

Thanks for the interesting tidbit, David!

 

[davideduardo]

True, that is, if you want to treat online radio the same way as terrestrial radio. I was thinking more in terms of a "website" entity. Something that offers something other than just simple online streaming, but co-existing interactive content, making it more interesting than just offering audio. So, for "radio companies" to diversify into online entertainment, they'd have to be thinking outside the box. The majority of radio stations have the most incredibly BORING websites.

When you consider that the average US radio station bills (gross before expenses) about $500 thousand dollars a year, the ability to develop content comes into perspective.

 

[djmimi]

True, which is why it should be the parent company and not a small station developing a megasite.