« Winter 2008 Arbitron Winners: AC and Talk. Losers: Rock, NAC, and Sports | Main | Arbitron Advisory Council Green-Lights PPM Roll-Out »

June 02, 2008

Comments

Richard Harker

Allen, It is good to hear that this book your clients fared better than other NAC stations, but the fact remains that the format have been in a downhill slide for some time. Formats survive and grow by evolving, and NAC is a format that has remained the same for some time. (There are other "non-evolving" formats that are in similar declines.) Core listeners find the format predictable and boring, and the numbers reflect it. You may object to the monolithic reference, but let's face it. NAC stations pretty much sound the same in every market. They play the same music, use the same promotions and contests, and run the same syndication. Every format does some of that, but it is particularly obvious in NAC

Allen Kepler

Interesting points. However, in reviewing year--to-year data (25-54) Broadcast Architecture affiliated stations fare much better than what you are showing in your report with about 45% Flat or up vs. 55% down in ratings. Meanwhile, all but 1 of the markets who do not work with BA were down year to year. (This includes 6 markets in the top 40) This would dispell your 'monolithic' assumption, wouldn't it? Also in 35-64, among our clients 60% are up and 40% are down year-to-year.

The comments to this entry are closed.

About Radio Insights

  • email us at [email protected]
  • Radio Insights is a service of Harker Research, a leading U.S. media research and consulting company. Harker Research provides innovative and insightful strategic research to help our clients grow.

    With nearly thirty years of experience, we’ve helped hundreds of radio stations create innovative solutions to the challenges they’ve faced. Today radio faces a myriad of new challenges. Harker Research is helping our clients prepare for this new world.

    We believe that 21st century challenges require 21st century solutions, solutions created through our custom action-oriented strategic research. And while radio faces many new challenges, radio also faces many new opportunities that can potentially transform the medium. Our broad range of proprietary research tools are each tailored to help radio stations capitalize on these new opportunities.

    Our experience, skills, and tools can help stations rejuvenate old formats or develop new formats. We can help create and strengthen a brand’s positioning. Our research can create tools to develop and enhance the full brand experience across multiple media and vehicles, from traditional mass media to web and wireless strategies. As radio moves towards electronic measurement, Harker Research is helping our clients to compete in this new arena.

    Radio Insights explores the many turbulent forces swirling around radio. It offers our take on the issues of the day and demonstrates the company’s original thinking. If you would like to talk with us directly about any of the issues we touch on, call us at (919) 954-8300.