-
Scandanavian Research Firm Finds Twists In Preconceptions About Morning Radio
November 12, 2014 at 5:00 AM (PT)
What do you think? Add your comment below. -
In MARCH (NET NEWS 3/17), DENMARK-based RADIOANALYZER CEO/Co-Founder MIKKEL B. OTTESEN shared with ALL ACCESS, "some rather surprising new facts about how listeners react to music on the radio." The facts were from the RADIOANALYZER SPRING Survey 2014.
Now OTTESEN checks in with an update -- the "2014 AUTUMN Analysis". "Even if the numbers this report is made from comes from SCANDINAVIA, I would think it could also be an interesting read for radio pros in other parts of the world as well," he said.
Some of the report highlights:
- Listeners want a fulfilling breakfast, but most morning shows cater too much to listeners on the go
- For most radio professionals it is an untouchable principle that morning shows must be tailored for listeners in a hurry, most of them on the go. With bite-sized content and lots and lots of traffic, time-checks and weather.
- State-of-the-art data analysis based on millions of listener movements from the official SCANDINAVIAN PPM ratings systems show that this long-standing model has too rigid a focal point. Only half of listeners on SCANDINAVIAN airwaves leave their homes during the breakfast show and during the 6-9a period the in-home listeners heavily outnumber listeners on the go.
OTTESEN adds, "the analysis suggests that the misinterpretation of the listeners’ rhythm of the day could play a major role in the uneven balance of power between public service radio and commercial radio in SCANDINAVIA. The public service radio stations differ more from the classic idea of building a show you can enjoy during commutes than commercial stations do. With less traffic and more news, less bite-size and more depth. The style is effective, as they are all-dominant during morning hours, while their drive dayparts are somewhat less popular. This daypart balance is reversed on major commercial stations who perform best during drive. The high-paced formats and more casual content grow in popularity later in the day, most likely because more listeners are actually on the go during this daypart. Thus, commercial stations are fulfilling the exact same needs they trying in vain to meet during breakfast."”2014 Autumn Analysis -- Mythbusting the Airwaves” is available as a free download here.

