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Future of Radio Audience Research
UK audience measurement body RAJAR has announced the findings of its industry-wide consultation survey on the future of radio research.
The survey, among 300 people from all sectors of the radio industry, was undertaken during April-October 2004 by Mark Cross of mc2.
According to MD Sally de la Bedoyere, the report shows wide consensus that 'a single audience measurement system, which includes both BBC and Commercial Radio, is essential for the future of radio audience research, and that while the introduction of electronic measurement is seen as very important, the accuracy and robustness of the data, allied to cost was the key'.
A broad consensus also exists for the following:- RAJAR must be able to monitor all delivery platforms
- electronic measurement is the way forward but a period of introduction, education, information and careful management is vital
- RAJAR's radio map should be revised
- any change in methodology must be affordable.
The consultation also asked respondents their opinions across a broad range of issues including the definition of listening, platform measurement, the radio map, frequency of data, depth of data, event listening, time-shifted listening and cost: on most of these there were more diverse views expressed.
RAJAR MD Sally de la Bedoyere called the survey 'the most important industry-wide consultation ever undertaken by RAJAR', and said RAJAR had been 'overwhelmed by the response from all sectors of the industry'.
BBC and Commercial Radio, advertisers, agencies and system providers were all represented in the sample. A copy of the report, The Future Requirements of Radio Audience Research, is available for download from www.rajar.co.uk/documents/rajarconsultationbrochure.pdf
Cross has spent over 10 years on the IPA's Media Futures Group, and was a board member of JICRIT during the formative stages of the development of the JET system which now operates across the industry.
RAJAR is jointly owned by the BBC and the CRCA (Commercial Radio Companies Association). Its board includes BBC Radio, the Commercial Radio Companies Association (CRCA) and the advertising industry, as represented by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) and the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA). The RAJAR survey supplies radio audience listening data to over 300 UK radio stations broadcasting across a range of platforms including analogue, digital, digital TV, satellite and Internet.
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