6 Chapter : RADAR (Radio's All Dimension Audience Report)
In the distant past, radio networks provided music and variety programs to affiliate stations. With the growth of television in the 1950's, radio networks were reduced to primarily broadcasting news and sports programs. Thus, while radio became a local medium, it retained some national programming. In the 1980's radio networks returned to longer-format programming (half hour or more). Changes in technology -- digital audio, compact discs and satellite transmission -facilitated network radio's resurgence as they could distribute programs via compact discs or satellite to affiliated stations. Most of the 12,000+ radio stations in the U.S. use some outside sources (network and syndication) to augment their local programming. Traditionally, networks offered long-form news and sports programming; syndicators tended to offer short-form features and material that was not timesensitive (Eastman & Ferguson, Broadcast/Cable Programming Strategies and Practices, Wadsworth, 1997). Today, the lines between networks and syndicators as program suppliers have blurred. programming. Some radio stations exclusively offer network and/or syndicated programming that is delivered by satellite -- these stations offer little or no locally-originated programming. Network affiliates (the local stations) generate income for the network. An affiliate contracts with a network for exclusive rights to air its programming in that market. The station provides airtime for the network to run its national commercials. The station pays a monthly fee to the network. The fee is based in part on market size and ratings (rank in the market). Stations must air a set number of network commercials. Thus, stations give up many minutes of airtime each week in order to run network programs. Some large market stations do not want to give up airtime to network commercials, so they don't run many network programs or they simply don't affiliate with a network. In some cases, networks pay compensation to get such stations to air their programming and commercials. In very large markets, a station might be paid more than one million dollars to air several dozen commercials each week, but the station is not under any obligation to run the network's programs (network programs do not "clear" in that market). Q.: What is a radio network? A: It has the combined features of (a) a programmer that offers continuity of programming, (b) written, contractual agreements with affiliate stations, (c) the capability of instantly and simultaneously feeding programming to all the affiliates, and (d) a clearance system to determine which affiliates carry which programming.
A recent RADAR report (Winter, 2000) reported that among P 18-24, 76% of men and 75% of women are exposed to network radio weekly. In an average week, 71% of consumers 18+ hear at least one radio network commercial. This gives radio networks a cumulative weekly reach of almost 143 million adults - over 70 million men and 72 million women. [NOTE: The next RADAR report, 70, is due out in Summer, 2001.] Examples of Network Programming 1. 2. 3. 4. News: NPR, PRI, CNN Headline News (audio portion); Osgood File (Charles Osgood) Talk: ABC's Talkradio, Mutual's The Larry King Show, NBC's Talknet (Bruce Williams), Sports: ABC, CBS, Westwood run sports, NFL games Music: King Biscuit Flower Hour, ABC's Rick Dees Weekly Top 40, Westwood One's The Source which is a 24-hour music service (includes news, comedy, concerts, etc.)
With the recent addition of Westwood One's Blaise Network (targeting P 25-54) and Navigator Network (targeting W 25-54), there are now 31 measured networks. The RADAR-measured network organizations include ABC, American Urban Radio, AMFM, Premiere and Westwood One. Some of these organizations, have a variety of networks. For instance, ABC has ABC FM, ABC News/Talk Production, ABC Young Adult, Prime, Platinum, Genesis, Galaxy, Excel, etc. RADAR There is obviously a need to measure the audiences for radio network programming. RADAR is the only national syndicated service that reports on listening to radio networks. It has been conducted by Statistical Research, Inc. (SRI) since 1972. In July, 2001, Arbitron announced it has purchased RADAR from SRI. Method RADAR has used the telephone recall method. It conducts phone interviews 48 weeks a year. Approximately 12,000 persons 12 years and older are interviewed each year. Each respondent is called daily to obtain radio audience information over a seven-day period. Audience estimates for networks are then developed by combining telephone interview data with three million records of carriage of network programming and commercials by network affiliates [records of carriage are data based on advertising clearances -- evidence that ads were run at specific times and within specific programs]. Data are provided for 40 dayparts, 108 sex/age groups, and 51 socio-economic groups (which is made available to subscribers via RADAR PC). RADAR reports are generated four times a year. SRI has provided its RADAR clients with printed reports and computer versions, including RADAR-on-Line. Arbitron has announced that it will take advantage of its enormous diary database. It plans on using a subset of its local market diaries to increase the sample size for the RADAR network survey. Arbitron claims that, by combining the two services, it can provide more useful and flexible audience estimates. In a press release (July 2, 2001) Arbitron indicated it will "transition from a telephonebased survey to a diary-based survey." In the near term (possibly two years), SRI will continue to collect data via telephone interviews for Arbitron. Arbitron's stated goal is to give the radio network industry the benefits of larger sample sizes and common audience estimates for local and network buying and selling. NOTE: Because the RADAR reports contain proprietary data, SRI has been unwilling to provide your instructor with sample pages from past RADAR reports. Information on RADAR thus derives almost exclusively from brief press releases.