Mark Ramsey: Ratings A 'Toxic Force' On Radio

Running With PPMs

In his latest post on his MRM blog, media strategist MARK RAMSEY takes radio to task for its emphasis on generating ratings over generating listener loyalty. He puts it bluntly in the title: "NIELSEN Ratings are a Toxic Force that Imperils Radio’s Future."

'[Ratings, you see, encourage a broadcaster to seek ratings, not fans," he wrote. "Listeners literally don’t matter in an environment where only the intermediary called PPM matters. And while PPM devices “listen,” they certainly don’t hear or appreciate or value or shop or buy. PPM devices are not customers for our clients, people are.

"You might argue: Well, there’s a correlation between ratings and fans. More of the former will yield more of the latter.

"Not necessarily.

"Today I spoke with a broadcaster who has the two highest revenue-generating stations in his market. Both are non-music stations. Both get punished by the ratings system well beyond what is either sensible or logical. Both are chocked full of fans – people who hear and appreciate and value and shop and buy. Both are as profitable as they are because they work for their fans and for their clients.

"So what was my advice to this broadcaster?

"Accept this as the new normal. The future will be one where your ratings matter less than your effectiveness in the marketplace."

Read the entire post here.

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