Nuvoodoo Research: Leigh Jacobs & Carolyn Gilbert
With the new three-minute listening thresholds in place, January 2025 PPM ratings were up 14% (against an expected 20% increase) compared to the January 2024 numbers according to Jon Miller, Nielsen VP Audience Insights. Miller explains the shortfall, citing there’s ongoing annual erosion to all linear media, radio included, of around 8%-9%.
The Jon Miller interview was part of the Radio Rendezvous hosted by Joel Denver and Seth Resler. This past Thursday’s was the sixth Radio Rendezvous and it was the first for us, though it certainly won’t be the last. There’s a very slight learning curve to attending these online events. You enter a virtual ballroom set with conference tables and seat yourself any table. You can participate in the conversation with those at the table a la Zoom.
It was fun catching up with clients, old acquaintances, and others in our business for a few minutes. After 10-15 minutes you’re teleported away from the table and the first segment of the guest interview is shown. When the segment is done, you’re plopped back into the ballroom but seated at another table. After another 10 minutes of conversation and mixing, the second interview segment plays. Finally, you’re sent back to yet another conference table.
The entire session runs just under an hour, though Seth Resler advises you can stay as long as you like. The next Radio Rendezvous is Thursday, March 27 at 1 PM Eastern and features an interview with the Roula and Ryan Show with Eric, the amazing morning show at the mighty KRBE/Houston. The registration link for the free session is here.
Nielsen’s Miller says they believe that more ad impressions are being captured with this new methodology, which is a good thing for the business. Comparing January 2024 to January 2025, cumes are not up significantly according to Miller. So, the first-month AQH increases are based primarily on TSL – capturing additional 3-minute occasions among existing listeners.
It was mentioned that under the new three-minute threshold there are additional minutes of listening being attributed to occasions that would have been captured under the old five-minute rules. While Miller didn’t offer an explanation of how this works, our best guess is to imagine a seven-minute listening occasion that begins :27 minutes into the hour and continues until :35 minutes after the hour. Under the old rules, the station would have been credited for only one quarter hour for that occasion. With the new three-minute rules, however, the station would be credited for two quarter hours.
Overall radio ratings were up from January to January across all PPM markets, with the exceptions of Atlanta and Baltimore. Miller offered no explanation for the declines there, but you can be sure programmers, managers, and owners are watching carefully.
Miller mentioned that 100% of the PPM sample is now using wearable meters and that the Nielsen TV panel is also moving toward wearables. He didn’t mention how widespread the usage of the PPM companion app has become. According to description on the iOS App Store, “The Meter Companion app is … the most up-to-date source of information about your participation and your rewards. Track your points, see your rewards, compete against others, and much more.” This speaks to how important these reward and compensation programs are to Nielsen.
There’s lots of experimentation to be done to learn to maximize ratings with the new three-minute rule in effect with PPM. Next week, we’ll look at what programmers might consider doing to best take advantage of these newly reported listening occasions.
The Spring Book is less than three weeks away. NuVoodoo would love to help your stations stay ahead of the competition with our effectively priced offerings for both marketing and research. Effective online marketing campaigns can be conducted starting at around $4000 and library music tests start under $10,000 (as do tactical perceptual studies). An email to tellmemore@nuvoodoo.com will get quick attention from the right member of our team.
Additionally, NuVoodoo marketing guru Mike O’Connor is publishing important marketing insights from our latest general study, NuVoodoo Media and Marketing Study 25, twice every week at nuvoodoo.com/articles.
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