Indian Radio Measurement Launches Amid Controversy

India's audience measurement agency TAM has confirmed that its Radio Audience Measurement (RAM) survey will go ahead this month using Diary methodology, despite concerns expressed by the Media Research Users Council (MRUC) that the technology is not sufficiently robust.

TAM is a joint venture between IMRB and Nielsen Media Research (www.mrweb.com/drno/news6870.htm ) and its RAM survey involves nearly 3,000 panelists in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore who record in a paper-based diary every quarter hour of radio they listen to.

However, a recent survey conducted by MRUC has indicated that RAM's diary method is only fully accurate in 15% of tests, and that the previous day-after-recall (DAR) technique provides more accurate data.

Mark Neely, Regional Director, Radio Asia Pacific, Nielsen Media Research disputes this and says that the Diary method can provide more in-depth information to stations, agencies and advertisers than DAR.

He explained that DAR had been used when the radio industry in India was in its infancy and there had been no demand for the level of information that the Diary can now provide. He affirmed: 'My role is to look at providing in-depth information to radio stations, and Diary happens to be the method in solving that purpose at this point in time, which is why we are using this for RAM.'

All broadcasters have signed up to the Diary route except ENIL, which runs the Radio Mirchi network of 32 stations. CEO Prashant Pandey explained the broadcaster's hesitation by saying: 'We should be able to get accurate data that evaluates our performance, not data that is only accurate 15% of the time. Why are we still using the Diary method when the world is talking about going electronic?'

TAM CEO Mr L V Krishnan responded by confirming that Nielsen is currently testing electronic meters in Australia and that the system should be available in India by the third quarter of next year. Until then, TAM will be in talks with Radio Mirchi.

Web sites are at www.tamindia.com and http://mruc.net .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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