Study Shows P1 Listeners Still Drive Ratings In A PPM World

First Preference Listeners Drive Ratings

RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. has completed a study using ARBITRON’s PPM data from sixteen major markets. The study demonstrates that, as in a diary world, First Preference, or P1 listeners, continue to have a significant impact on a radio station’s Average Quarter-Hour audience in PPM.

In 2000, RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. conducted its last P1 study in diary markets and concluded that, on average, P1 listeners comprised 35.7% of a station’s cume, and 70.4% of its Average Quarter-Hour audience. This new study looks at P1 listening in PPM markets and provides new preference-level benchmarks by demo, ethnicity and format, based on a 10-survey average (JUNE 2009-FEBRUARY 2010) in the selected markets.

Among the key findings:

* While less than a quarter (22.2%) of all Persons 6+ cume listeners are P1 to the typical station in PPM, those listeners produce more than half (52.4%) of the Average Quarter-Hour audience to those stations. These numbers are smaller than in diary, but still demonstrate the major role that first preference listeners play in driving ratings results.

* As overall cumes in PPM have dramatically increased, so has the percentage of a station’s cume that is P4+. Half (50.0%) of the typical station’s cume audience is made up of P4+ listeners in PPM, yet those listeners represent less than one-fifth (19.6%) of the station’s Average Quarter-Hour audience. (In a diary world, on average, less than one-quarter of a station’s cume audience are P4+.)

* P1 listeners in PPM spend an average of 7 hours with their favorite radio station, while P4+ listeners spend less than one hour.

* Across demos in PPM, P1 Cume and Average Quarter-Hour compositions are relatively consistent, though the AQH audience composition from P1s does increase slightly in the older demos.

* Ratings for "Spoken Word" formatted radio stations are most impacted by P1 listeners. More than a third (34.2%) of these stations’ cume listeners are P1, representing 66.0% of their Average Quarter-Hour audience.

* By ethnic group, African-American P1 listeners spend the longest time with their favorite station (8:00). Other P1 listeners (non African-American, non-Hispanic) contributed the largest percentage of Average Quarter-Hour audience (53.8%).

RESEARCH DIRECTOR INC. Managing Partner MARC GREENSPAN said, "Even as overall cumes have skyrocketed in PPM, a station’s P1 listeners remain most crucial to its ratings success."

Pres. CHARLIE SISLEN added, "Lots of stations develop strategies to boost cume. Successful stations put their emphasis on improving their P1 and P2 cume -- not their
P-Nones."

RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC.’s newest study, entitled "The P1 Effect: How First Preference Listeners Drive Ratings in a PPM World" is available at www.ResearchDirectorInc.com/newsvault.asp.

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