Path: utzoo!utgpu!CUVMA!SWL-L Date: Tue, 27 Feb 90 19:29:27 EST Reply-To: Tim Pozar <@BBN.COM:pozar@hoptoad.uucp> Sender: Short Wave Listener's List Comments: Warning -- original Sender: tag was From: Tim Pozar <@UCBVAX.BERKELEY.EDU:pozar@hoptoad> Subject: Re: Determining Listening Audience Size X-To: swl-l@cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu To: UofToronto LAN redistribution Message-ID: <90Feb27.220112est.57402@ugw.utcs.utoronto.ca> Newsgroups: bitnet.swl-l Distribution: ut Approved: devnull@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu In article <13233@cbnewse.ATT.COM> liuzzo@cbnewse.ATT.COM (james.g.liuzzo) writes: >I've always wondered how a radio station (shortwave, or local AM/FM) >determines the size of its listening audience. I guess the amount of mail >received is one indication (one needs to then assume some proportion of the >listeners typically send mail...e.g., 1%) but how reliable can that be? >I've assumed that local stations may hire some pollster to do some survey >of people in the listening area, but can that work for shortwave stations? >Anyone out there know the facts? Listening audience is gaged by a companies like Birch or Arbitron. Birch will call households and ask "What station are you listening to?" Arbitron will send out 'Diaries' for participats to fill out throughout the day. Arbitron puts out their results once every three months in "The Book". Stations live and die by this tabulation. If you get a bit rushed about seeing how you are doing, you can subscribe to "Arbitrends". Arbitrends (or the "Trends") are progress reports that come out every month. The "Book" is made up of Trends that are averaged and Ethnic weighted. Books and Trends will also give information broken down into "Dayparts". Or how many is listening during certain hours like 6a to 10a, or 3p to 7p, ect., and what age groups or gender. The Book will give more detail as in how listeners broken down into cities. How much you can ask for a commercial is directly related to your ranking in the Book. Most National buyers (large corperations) will not even look at a station that is not in the top 10. Tim -- Tim Pozar Try also... Internet: pozar@toad.com Fido: 1:125/555 PaBell: (415) 788-3904 USNail: KKSF / 77 Maiden Lane / San Francisco CA 94108