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CRS, Edison Adds To Millennial Study
February 20, 2014 at 2:45 PM (PT)
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As if WEDNESDAY’s CRS/EDISON MEDIA RESEARCH study didn’t offer enough information on the millennial generation and how Country programmers can better understand them (NET NEWS 2/19), EDISON Pres. LARRY ROSIN offered even more information from the project. Also on hand were EDISON’s MEGAN LAZOVIK and JAYNE CHARNESKI, with EMMIS Country WLHK/INDIANAPOLIS PD BOB RICHARDS moderating the Q&A session.
ROSIN’s bonus material included a stat he was hesitant to reveal YESTERDAY for fear of “bumming people out.” That slide showed respondents' “favorite ways to listen to music” scored traditional FM radio at 17%, Internet options such as YOUTUBE and digital stations at 14% and “my own personal collection” topping the list at 30%.
ROSIN touched on the term “music discovery,” which he believes is being loosely used. Radio scores high in this category; ROSIN added, “Radio is where you find out where the hits are.”
An agree/disagree segment showed 77% agreed that, ”Country music is a significant part of AMERICAN culture,” with 73% saying “Country music is becoming more popular” and 62% agreeing that “Too many Country songs sound the same.”
Artist familiarity results showed BLAKE SHELTON not as familiar as most would expect, though still very strong, and the emergence of FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE.
More video showed millenials describing Country music on one word, with “fun” mentioned repeatedly. Followed by “upbeat,” “energetic,” “good times” “party” and “drinking” also making the list.
During the follow-up Q&A session, ROSIN was asked to expand on yesterday’s statement that radio “is in the battle of its life.” “We don’t think about the little decisions we make on a day-to-day basis that hurt our business," he said, citing the “bowtie” stopset structure most stations in PPM markets use, which results in all stations playing spots at the same time.
ROSIN also felt radio CEOs have downplayed PANDORA and SPOTIFY usage, saying that while those services do expand listening, “More listening has to come from somewhere.”
CHARNESKI said mobile devices are thought of as a living room by millenials and LAZOVICK believes radio is still an advantage in the car, ”But for how long, when younger fans can plug their mobile device into the dash or bluetooth it” to access music in different ways.

