TIDBIT ABOUT RADIO RATINGS

I read that PPM was much more accurate than the old Diary Method and even it has serious problems.

L.A. Ratings Recall Illuminate Overall PPM Problems

Our frustration with the PPM sample springs from the fact that it’s nearly impossible to identify a target audience from month to month. Those of us who dive under the hood observe significant bounces from month to month among station ratings.

In PPM, Share ratings widely vacillate from month to month given the volatility that PPM panelists reflect in their time spent listening. We’ve seen one, two, or three panelists make a tremendous difference in audience composition and the overall Share ratings, especially as you narrow in on a target demo and/or a given daypart.

Consultant Fred Jacobs wrote about the L.A. recall.

“If you’re looking for validation in the ratings, studying the often unpredictable variances from month to month ought to tell you that you have a star role in a fool’s game.”