Brian Wright “Margin Of Error”
As you plan for the future of your radio station(s) it is very important for you to understand that your margins for error are becoming razor thin, in fact, almost nonexistent. This is certainly true for actual listening patterns of people with their countless media platforms to choose from but it is most certainly true when it comes to your ratings. Consider what just happened in Tampa. A Spanish streaming station WYUU was #1 with 18-34 Persons for the Month of January but when you drill down into the data it was discovered that all of those numbers came from just 2 people! 2 people with tons of time spent listening, most likely from the Amazon Echo streaming devise! This is the ratings world you live in.
Don’t forget…this happened in a Top 50 market. Can you imagine how valuable each diary is in ALL markets below #50? When the number of useable diaries go down from rating period to rating period the risks grow more treacherous than ever before. That being said, the ratings are still and always will be a cause & effect scenario. This means, what you do or don’t do, on and off the air, really does make a difference in how you are rated in the long run. Imagine the impact of playing just a hand full of unfamiliar music backed up by familiar but less popular songs. It could mean a move from 1st place to 6th. How about going into a stopset without a strong appointment listening tease? This could lead to your station becoming cellar dweller. This list goes on.
The great news is this… What can kill you in the ratings can also bring you back to life stronger than ever before BUT you must know the “rules of engagement” within the ratings methodology and apply the correct psychology. Just as 2 people can cause your ratings do go down exponentially, 2 people can cause you to go from zero to hero in the same amount of time. We need to know how to work the creases and the nuances of radio, which is quite counterintuitive to begin with, to reach our desired potential. Contrary to popular opinion, these areas are black and white without much grey area and they are nearly universal.
Take action now because this won’t correct itself.
Brian is a 30 year radio veteran who has successfully served many companies over the years as Program Director, Operations Manger and VP of programming. After many years of success working for individual radio stations and clusters, Brian Joined one of the most trusted consulting firms in the country, Audience Development Group. For the last 15 years Wright has enjoyed building alliances with scores of stations in the US & Canada helping them grow in ratings and revenue. Contact Brian at brian@audiencedevelopmentgroup.com
