Katz Radio Group Announces Audio Listening Trends Over the Last Year

New York, NY – April 29, 2013 – Katz Radio Group, the top national sales representation firm in the radio industry, today announced audio listening trends over the past year. In the most recent RADAR findings, the gold standard measurement system for radio, which measure national listening behavior from October 2011 to September 2012, broadcast radio continues to strongly dominate listening – reaching 243 million listeners per week and representing 92.4% of all listening (1). In comparison, digital listening currently represents only 7.6% of all audio listening (2).

“The latest findings bear out what we continue to find from all our research – and hear from consumers – that broadcast radio is still by far the overwhelming leader in audio listening,” said Mary Beth Garber, EVP/Radio Analysis and Insights at Katz Radio Group. “Broadcast radio isn’t losing listeners – in fact just the opposite, which makes it clear that digital listening actually represents incremental listening. So as digital listening – which is both AM/FM digital listening and personal music collection digital listening – continues to grow, it is an expansion of broadcast radio listening, additive to it rather than a substitute. Research from Infinite Dial 2012 shows that digital listeners are also heavy broadcast users (3); digital extends the reach and popularity of broadcast radio to new devices and new listening opportunities. We're pleased with digital's growth and how it has added to the broadcast radio experience.”

Garber continued, “A digital‐only ‘music collection’ audio service like Pandora only has 4.4% of total audio listening, even if you assume the Triton measurement of when the service is left on is comparable to the measurement of actual listening that Arbitron does. That said, even though it is still a relatively small percentage of all listening, we remain excited about the role of digital listening in extending radio listening to new devices, further enhancing radio's role as the major mobile entertainment and information service to the consumer.”

(1) RADAR 115 (Dec 2012, for period Oct 11 ‐ Sep 12
(2) RADAR 115 (for period Oct 11 – Sep 12); Triton Digital Audio Top 20, Oct 11 – Sep 12;
(3) Infinite Dial 2012

Nielsen: Radio Scores High in Audience Engagement

The claim that listeners are highly engaged with radio is reinforced loud and clear in a new cross-media engagement study conducted by Nielsen.  Radio tied for second across an aggregate of 11 different metrics of engagement in the study, commissioned by the Newspaper Association Of America.  Newspapers came in first.

Local news radio was tied for second in trustworthiness, with 56% attributing that quality to it.  Local talk radio was right behind at 55%.   Racking up similar percentages, local news radio and local talk radio were also tied for second and third, respectively, when people were asked which source operated “in an ethical manner and [has] the public’s best interest in mind.”  Radio grabbed half of the top six positions when respondents were asked which media “inspire me.”  Local talk radio came in fourth among 13 different media in the inspiration metric, followed by local news radio and local music radio.  With 45% saying it “makes my life better,” local music radio ranked second followed by local talk radio (44%).

MORE...Inside Radio (4/25)

U.S. Digital TV Users Soaring

by Wayne Friedman

U.S. digital TV users are climbing faster than expected.

The number of U.S. digital TV users -- those who view at least one TV show per month via the Internet -- will climb 37% in four years to 145 million in 2017, from 106 million in 2012. This amounts to digital TV user growth climbing at a 6.9% compound annual growth rate -- a higher increase than previously forecast in August 2012 by eMarketer.

Next year, it says digital TV viewers will cross a critical tipping point -- surpassing 50% of the U.S. Internet user population. Those users who watch at least one movie per month on any Internet-capable device will climb to 115 million in 2017 from nearly 80 million in 2012, a 9.7% annual growth rate.

MORE...Media Post News (4/2)

Broadcast Radio Sees Uptick In Online Revs: $800 Million By 2017

by Erik Sass

Online advertising revenues for radio broadcasters are growing, but will remain a relatively small part of the industry’s overall revenues for the foreseeable future.
 
In proportional terms, online ad revenues will edge up from 3.4% of radio’s total ad revenues in 2012 to 3.9% in 2013, and 4.7% by 2017, per the BIA Kelsey forecast.
 
BIA Kelsey sees online ad revenues for platforms associated with broadcast radio stations and groups increasing from $491 million in 2012 to around $600 million in 2013, for an annual growth rate of approximately 22%. Online ad revenues should then grow to $818 million in 2017, for a cumulative annual growth rate of 10.8% over the next five years.

MORE...Media Post News (5/26)

Recording TV Content Is Popular, But Many Shows Are Never Watched

by Wayne Friedman

TV time-shifting -- the activity of consumers and their DVRs -- can be wasteful.

A new study says about a third (36%) of all worldwide recorded TV content is never watched. In the U.S. that number is higher -- 41%, per Motorola Mobility's annual media survey.

Consumers behavior with recorded content comes in different variations. For example, 72% are "hoarders" -- recording to collect the "box-set" of a specific TV program.

The reasons for recording: 77% record because there is other content airing at the same time that the viewer would prefer to watch live, while 68% globally record to skip ads on commercial channels. It's higher in the U.K. and the U.S, where this reason scores 75% and 74% respectively.

Motorola says that almost a third -- 29% -- of global weekly TV viewing is of recorded content.

Overall TV viewing says the average consumer watches 19 hours of TV content and six hours of movie content a week.  The U.S. is at the top of the list among countries --  23 hours of TV and six hours of movies watched each week. The lowest TV consumption is seen in Sweden and Japan, at 15 hours and two hours, respectively.

MORE...Media Post News (5/22)

Radio Adds More than 1.6 Million Weekly Listeners

Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) announced today highlights from its March 2013 RADAR® 116 National Radio Listening Report.  The report shows radio’s audience increased year over year, adding more than 1.6 million weekly listeners.  Radio now reaches 242.8 million listeners on an average weekly basis.   
 
Teens aged 12 to 17 shows the largest gains among the major age demographics.  Radio now reaches nearly 23 million teens in an average week.  Radio listening also remains steady among Adults aged 18 to 34, reaching 66.5 million people, or 92%, in this demographic.
 
Radio’s Diversity
 
Radio continues to reach a large, diverse audience.  According to the March 2013 RADAR report, radio saw gains in the Black (non-Hispanic) audience across all major demographic groups versus the March 2012 report.  The Hispanic audience also grew, adding  nearly 1.1 million listeners in an average week. 

MORE...Arbirtron (3/11)

 

Five Ways to Connect With Millennials...Yes, via Radio

by Mary Beth Garber  |  
March 22, 2013

Most people's perception of whether Millennials like radio could do with a splash of cold water and a stream of cold, hard facts.

In fact, if you are between 18 and 34, you are far more likely to be pulling your ears away from AM/FM radio than your eyes away from Facebook to read this article: 92% more likely, actually. Way more Millennials will use radio this week than they will YouTube or Twitter.(1)

Each week, 93% of Millennials (or more than 62 million of them) spend over 2.5 hours per day listening to radio. That's more than a year ago. Or any time in history.(2)

Ah, but what about custom music streaming (e.g., Pandora) and other technological developments? Have they replaced listening to radio among 18-34s? No. In fact, research from 11 sources has concluded that streamers tend to be heavier users of radio than the average person. For example, in November 2012, Vision Critical concluded that "Pandora listeners report spending 50% more time listening to AM/FM radio than non-Pandora listeners."

Why do 93% of 18-34-year-olds spend 2.5 hours listening to AM/FM radio stations daily via radios, mobile devices, computers, in cars, and other means?

Recent studies tell us that more than half them say that radio "energizes" them or "improves your mood." It makes them happy, in other words. Millennials feel down or lonely, or they want the comfort of a familiar voice, or they want just to be entertained... as most people do. Maybe more so. More of them said they'd be more disappointed if their favorite radio station went away than if Facebook went away (62% vs. 45%).(3)

Here's how to put this phenomenal medium to work for you to reach Millennials.

It Is Official: Even Facebook Admits That Teens Are Tiring of the Social Network As They Turn to Newer 'Cooler' Apps Such As Snapchat

By JAMES NYE

Facebook has made the startling admission that teenagers are becoming bored with the social networking giant.

Facing competition from younger, more agile and 'cooler' apps such as Snapchat and Instagram, Facebook fears its long-term business could be harmed.

And as Facebook approaches its tenth anniversary the firm published its annual 10-K report last month revealing that its younger users are increasingly turning away from the multi-billion dollar business.

Published last month, the annual company report states, 'We believe that some of our users, particularly our younger users, are aware of and actively engaging with other products and services similar to, or as a substitute for, Facebook.'

MORE...Mail Online (3/3)

Blaming Royalties, Pandora Caps Mobile Use

Pandora could be cracking open the door to competitors, but faced with a large and growing royalty expense it may have no other choice. The webcaster says it will cap free mobile listening at 40-hours per month.  Desktop listening will remain unlimited.

“This is an effort to balance the reality of increasing royalty costs with our desire to maximize access to free listening on Pandora,” founder Tim Westergren explains.

MORE...Inside Radio (2/28)

Research Shows Radio Can Effectively Enhance Advertisers’ TV Messaging

New York, NY- February 25, 2013 – Katz Marketing Solutions, the national marketing arm of the Katz Media Group, today announced its findings of a new study that quantified the importance of audio elements in successful television commercials. The results show that audio, or radio, can efficiently and cost-effectively enhance a brand’s identification and messaging.
 
The study examined television commercials from 14 major brands including Allstate, Apple, Capital One, CoverGirl, Diet Pepsi, DirectTV, Dos Equis, Duracell, GEICO, Old Spice, Outback Steakhouse, Snickers, Taco Bell, and Warner Brothers. All audio and visual brand references were removed, and 300 respondents were served either the de-branded television clip or an audio-only version of the same clip. The respondents were asked to identify the brand, pinpoint their “aha” moment of recognition, and describe their emotional response to the audio and video segments.
 
Overall, the audio clips generated 93% of the brand identification metrics that the television commercial clips generated. Even with the absence of visual stimuli, consumers were able to correctly identify the brands being featured in the ads. The results also indicated that in certain instances audio triggered brand identification at a much greater rate than visual cues. For example, 25% of the respondents exposed to the Taco Bell television clip referenced visual cues as the brand trigger, while 55% mentioned the sound of the iconic Taco Bell “bong” as the “aha” branding moment. In Duracell’s television clip, 50% more viewers referenced its distinctive three-note audio signature as the brand trigger than any visual stimuli. And for Outback Steakhouse, four times as many respondents cited the announcer’s distinguishing voice as the brand trigger than any visual element of the commercial.
 
The audio clips alone also prompted emotional responses in respondents. For the Warner Brothers’ movie, “The Hobbit,” as many respondents to the audio clip expressed excitement and desire to see the movie as those exposed to the television clip. In Taco Bell’s case, the audio clip generated mentions of hunger almost as often as those exposed to the television clip. For CoverGirl, the audio clip was just as likely to invoke feelings of happiness as the television clip.

Jeopardy for Advertisers – Play Along and Win Big With a Smarter Mix

Answer:  Increased total reach, increased total frequency, minimal decrease of the TV campaign’s R&F – all with no increase in budget – and a stunning improvement in the likely ability of the message to resonate with the potential consumer.  Pretty good return on rechanneling some budget. 
 
Question: What would happen if an advertiser reallocated a small portion of a TV campaign budget to radio?
 
Think of it as a very successful “hedge fund”. 
 
CCM+E Insights commissioned MBI to use USA Touchpoints to conduct studies on 2012 ad campaigns for seven different advertisers (2 autos, 2 quick serve restaurants, 2 financials, 1 home improvement store) to explore the benefits of reallocating a portion of their budgets out of TV and into Radio. 
 
MBI tracked potential media exposure for the target audiences for seven advertisers during the periods when they were actively on TV. 

Recall of Advertised Product Categories & Brands of “Big Game” TV Ads is Low

Despite Creative Executions, Sight, Sound and Motion Distract from Advertisers’ Messages -- In Contrast to Radio's Ability to Communicate More Direct and Personal Messaging

NEW YORK, NY – February 20, 2013 – Despite unprecedented hype around television ads that ran during this year’s Big Game, many viewers said they didn’t watch them – and even when they did, consumer recall of brands advertising during the game was uniformly low, according to a research study conducted by Nielsen Entertainment for the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB).  Although the game brings out the advertising industry’s best commercials, the results of the study show the limitations of television ads in selling products and highlight the fact that sight, sound and motion can distract from advertisers’ basic messages -- in contrast to radio, where the audio message is more direct and personal and is not obscured by video or picture.

San Diego Radio Revenue Grows 4.4% in 2012

Fueled by substantial growth in the automotive category and an endorsement of radio by political consultants, San Diego radio grew 4.4% in 2012, nicely ahead of the industry growth rate of 1% for the year. Local and national spot business improved in San Diego (+4.6%) as did digital (+14.6%) and network (+4.7%) investments by advertisers, according to the Miller Kaplan & Arase report on market revenue.

The radio investment made by the automotive category grew by 34%, well ahead of the growth rate for the category in television (14.2%) and newspaper (19%). Factory spending on radio was up 70% for the year, according to the Miller Kaplan & Arase X-Ray Report on media spending for San Diego while dealer association spending grew 32% and individual dealer spending increased 27.6%. The increased spending corresponds with the continued improvement in local automobile sales; new car registrations were up 25% in San Diego County in 2012, according to Polk data for the market. Automotive retains its position as the largest spending category on San Diego radio stations and other measured media.

Other top ten categories showing substantial increases in spending in 2012 in radio are as follows: the communications/cellular/public utilities category grew 16.2%; television/networks/cable providers increased 11.5%; grocery/convenience/liquor stores were up 7.2%; financial services were up 7.1%. The restaurant category, the fourth largest for radio in 2012, was down 10.7%.

For a complete report on radio revenue for the industry visit the RAB website:
http://www.rab.com/public/pr/RevenueReportQ42012Final.pdf

2013 EAR Awards Call for Entries

How Advertisers Can Stoke Super Bowl Buzz Year Round

By Radha Subramanyam

Football fans around the country geared up for weeks before last Sunday's Super Bowl between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers and their opposing coaches—brothers Jim and John Harbaugh, who took sibling rivalry to new heights.
 
The big game did not disappoint.
 
From the power outage to the 49ers mounting an almost-comeback to that electric Beyoncé performance—there was no shortage of drama. And the commercials were no exception.
 
For marketers, advertising during the Super Bowl is a once-a-year moment of unprecedented reach and consumer attention. Never does advertising have a more captive audience. But most brands can’t afford the $3.8 million it takes to buy just a 30-second spot. What’s more, everyday TV buys don’t come close to generating the awareness of a Super Bowl spot—and in fact, can be a fumble for brands.

The magic of the Super Bowl ad spectacle is that rare alchemy of reach, receptivity and community. Don't underestimate the power of community; at a time when we are more plugged in than ever through email, Twitter and Facebook, what many of us actually yearn for is to feel really connected. That’s the feeling we get when we’re sitting around the living room with family and friends, engaged in a common experience—like the Super Bowl. But if you want to achieve Super Bowl-sized results all year, radio is the only medium that delivers a Super Bowl kind of reach, receptivity and community year round.

MORE...Adweek (2/5)

Arbitron PPM Gets MRC Accreditation In Four Markets, Including San Diego

by Erik Sass

Arbitron has long vowed to win accreditation from the Media Rating Council for its Portable People Meter radio ratings system in every market where it is used. That promise came closer to fulfillment with Tuesday’s announcement that the MRC has granted accreditation to PPM in four more markets, bringing the total number of markets with MRC accreditation to 18.
 
According to Arbitron, PPM has been granted MRC accreditation in Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego and the Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill metropolitan area in North Carolina.

MORE...Media Daily News (2/5)

Univision Communications Creates Agency To Manage TV & Radio

Univision Communications has formed the Univision Agency. Overseeing a media inventory of more than $500 million across all of Univision's broadcast, cable and radio properties, the Univision Agency will be responsible for all cross-channel promotions as well as research and creative services for clients and internal divisions.

The company has established a new centralized team that will be part of Univision Networks. This totally self-contained Agency will define the promotional priorities and drive the creative advertising strategy and execution for the entire UNIVISION family of networks. Leading the Univision Agency is newly promoted SVP Joni Fernandez, reporting to EVP/Program Scheduling & Promotions Jessica Rodriguez, who has spearheaded this effort over the past few months.

MORE...All Access Music Group (1/14)

Sprint To Activate FM Chips On Some Smartphones

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Sprint announced that it has reached a preliminary agreement to activate FM radio chips on selected Android and Windows smartphones. The rollout is slated to take place over the next three years. FM radio could be delivered through the NextRadio tuner application or other radio apps or services.

This announcement marks the first time a U.S. wireless carrier will offer the ability to access local FM radio on its devices. With the NextRadio tuner – expected to be available later in 2013 – Sprint customers would access a wide range of interactive listener features not available today, with local FM radio stations available to them as well.

MORE...FMQB (1/8)

Buyers: Nielsen-Arbitron faces big hurdles

By Diego Vasquez

The media world was abuzz this morning over the news that Nielsen is acquiring Arbitron, its sometime rival and sometime partner, in a deal worth more than $1.2 billion.
 
Media people were surprised that the two sides were able to keep the deal quiet as long as they did without any leaks.
 
But their astonishment quickly gave way to concerns about what such a deal will mean to media.
 
Buyers contacted by Media Life raised three main issues: Whether the deal will pass muster with anti-trust regulators, how the merger will affect Nielsen’s client pricing, and what new research and ratings the company will be able to offer.
 
Nielsen dislikes the term monopoly, but the reality is that there’s no competing source of TV ratings. The $65 billion TV ad market is based on Nielsen data, and though buyers have long supported efforts to launch viable competitors, none has succeeded in challenging Nielsen.
 
Even an Arbitron push to measure television ratings was aborted a few years ago.

MORE...Media Life Magazine (12/19)

Mega-merger: Nielsen acquiring Arbitron

By Toni Fitzgerald

In a move that’s sure to fire up complaints about its monopoly once again, Nielsen is acquiring Arbitron, the only other company to develop significant ratings systems over the past few decades.
 
The deal, announced this morning, is worth an estimated $1.26 billion, with Nielsen agreeing to pay $48 per share in cash, a 26 percent premium on Arbitron’s closing stock price yesterday.
 
Though regulators will still have to review and approve the deal, it has already been okayed by both companies’ boards.
 
Nielsen has long been the lone name in TV ratings. Broadcast and cable buys are based on its system, which many media buyers have criticized for its small sample size and inability to measure viewership across multiple platforms.
 
MORE...Media Life Magazine (12/18)

For radio, rolling with the changes

By Toni Fitzgerald

December 14, 2012

To listen to all the moaning out there from some radio folks, one might think radio was being chased into an early grave, beset by ominous forces poised to gobble up listeners and advertisers.
 
One has to wonder where all that moaning comes from. It certainly isn’t supported by the facts.
 
Even in this age of Pandora, SiriusXM and the iPod, radio remains a vital and growing medium, and it will continue to be so.
 
Radio audiences continue to grow, both online and off. A recent study found that, contrary to popular belief, those who listen to Pandora, the dominant internet radio network, do not listen to less terrestrial radio; in fact, they listen to more.
 
The point: Rather than signaling the death of traditional radio, these new platforms advance the cause of radio as a medium. That can only serve to benefit traditional over-air-radio.
 
Radio advertising has also held up remarkably well, certainly far better than that of magazines and newspapers, and it has done so through the worst economic recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
 
Ad spending increased slightly this year, spurred in part by advertisers who abandoned TV in the months before the election to avoid the crush of political ads.
 
Radio advertising offers the element of immediacy, whether it’s a big sale or a movie about to open.

MORE...Media Life (12/14)

Sandy Brings Back Prime Time for Original Wireless Network: Radio

Amid Continuing Blackout, Medium Is the Only Game in Town
By: Michael Learmonth

Batteries are drained, internet connections long-gone. For the nearly 5 million households muddling through a fourth day without power in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, there's really only one medium that matters, and that's radio.

It's an incongruous feeling, in an era of status updates and hashtags, how quickly and how easily the tools that revolutionized communications -- indeed, even fomented revolution -- simply go poof! And what remains is a version of 1932: families gathered around the radio, waiting for a bit of information on where to go or what to do next.

That's the reality this week for millions of residents of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Websites went down and laptop charges ran down in hours. But most radio towers are built to withstand hurricane-force winds and have generator backups with 8 to 10 days of fuel on hand. And if your radio's batteries die, you can buy new ones at the store.

MORE...Radio Ink Magazine (11/2)

Cable Subscribers Frustrated, Up Channel Surfing, Streaming

by Wayne Friedman

Cable and satellite TV service subscribers may not be cord-cutting or cord-shaving to any degree, according to one study, yet high levels of channel-surfing and growing use of services like Netflix could lead to more problems.

Almost 70% say they are "always" or "sometimes" frustrated in trying to find something to watch, according to video search technology company Digitalsmiths. It found that 48% of cable customers say they spend 10 minutes or more trying to find something to watch -- channel-surfing. Nearly 30% say they spend even more time flipping on the TV remote -- 10 minutes to 20 minutes.

In relation to this, the study says just about 50% of TV viewers watch less than 10% of time-shifted viewing -- which means more channel-surfing. (Other TV researchers now say around 45% of U.S. TV homes have DVR time-shifting technology.)

MORE...Media Post News (10/8)

 

Jobless Rate Drops Slightly in August

By Mike Allen

San Diego County added a net of 900 jobs in August, helping to reduce the region’s unemployment rate to 9 percent from July’s revised rate of 9.3 percent. The region’s jobless rate in August 2011 was 10.3 percent, according to the state’s Employment Development Department.

For the same month, California had an adjusted unemployment rate of 10.6 percent, down by a tenth of a point from July. The national jobless rate was an adjusted 8.1 percent, down from 8.3 percent in July.

In San Diego, the reduced rate was driven by job creation in two main areas, each of which showed a gain of more than 1,000 jobs. Retail trade gained 1,300 jobs, while leisure and hospitality increased by 1,200 jobs during the past month.

The sector showing the largest decline was professional and business services, which showed a drop of 3,100 jobs. Administrative and support services made up 2,100 of that number, the EDD report said.

MORE...San Diego Business Journal (9/24)

RADAR 114: Younger Demos Boost Total Radio Listening

September 17, 2012
 
Arbitron has released highlights from its September 2012 RADAR 114 National Radio Listening Report, showing radio’s audience increased slightly year over year by 249,000 persons aged 12+, representing nearly 93 percent of the population.

According to Arbitron's data, younger radio listeners were largely responsible for the year-over-year increase, with Adults aged 18 to 34 showing the largest gain in weekly listeners, adding more than 800,000. Persons aged 12 to 17 increased slightly also. Radio continues to reach 91 percent of this demographic.

MORE...FMQB (9/17)

Delays In Cord-Buying Add To Cord-Cutting Dilemma

by Wayne Friedman

Cord-cutting -- or shaving -- by cable, satellite and now even telco subscribers is an issue that nags at the core.
 
Cable operators may not worry too much, due to their other growing businesses of phone and broadband. For them, cord-cutting just means a shift in how consumers access their video and media.
 
Satellite operators like DirecTV may have another problem to consider, however. Losing customers can be significant, even when their remaining subscribers pay more every year.

One analyst says the key disturbing issue is falling pay TV penetration for consumers who move into new homes. They are increasingly not automatically starting monthly cable, satellite or telco TV service.

MORE...Media Post (8/8)

New Study Validates the Power of Sonic Branding

Katz Marketing Solutions, the national marketing arm of the Katz Media Group, recently announced their findings of a new study of advertisers’ sonic brands and their impact on communicating brand messaging and eliciting emotional responses.

“The results confirm the incredible power of sound,” said Bob McCurdy, President of Katz Marketing Solutions. “With this research, we have a better understanding of how sound impacts what we see, how we feel and what we consume. Even a brief one or two seconds of sound can trigger powerful brand messaging and explicit visual images, which means radio can be an extremely influential tool for advertisers.”

While previous studies have focused on brand identification, Katz Marketing Solutions commissioned this research to delve beyond awareness metrics. Instead, the study quantified the communication and emotional impact of sonic brands of the top U.S. advertisers including McDonald’s, Mazda, Old Spice and Pillsbury, among 20 others. The intended goal was to measure both the ability of these sound bites to communicate a brand message and to generate emotions. 

The study tested sonic brands, such as the NBC chimes; music used in commercials; or the voice of the brand’s spokesperson. Two hundred and fifty respondents listened to each short sonic snippet and answered three key questions:  Do you know the company or brand that uses this sound in its advertising? What message comes to mind when you hear this sound? What pops in your head when you hear this sound and how does that make you feel?

Added McCurdy, “Sound can create an emotional response to the point of impacting us physiologically. For instance, just hearing a fast food advertiser’s sonic brand can make someone hungry. Not only that, it can also induce specific visual images of a hot, sizzling pizza. This confirms what we’ve known for some time, that radio provides advertisers the benefit of the visual at audio prices.”

The respondents provided detailed descriptions of the advertisers’ product, benefits, pricing, as well as visual details, such as vivid descriptions of the advertisers’ spokesperson and mascot. Many respondents included the advertisers’ exact slogan, which was not present in the tested audio. The complete study results, including the verbatim responses, and further information is available at www.sonicbrandstudy.com.

This study is part of Katz Marketing Solutions on-going efforts to provide in-depth research on the power of sound and the listening habits of consumers. The division is one of the first media sales organizations to partner with USA TouchPoints, the most comprehensive syndicated research product to track all forms of consumer behavior and media consumption, as well as Pointlogic’s Chorus. In addition, Katz Marketing Solutions also works closely with Ipsos MediaCt to conduct on-going evaluations of radio campaigns in order to relay radio’s key branding metrics and improve campaign efficacy.

USC Study Confirms Listeners Feel Connections With Radio Personalities

New York, NY- June 28, 2012 – A study conducted by the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism that examines the unique relationship between broadcast radio listeners and on-air personalities is the first to confirm that listeners feel they have a genuine relationship with their favorite radio personalities.

Among the key findings of the study – which was underwritten by Katz Radio Group, the nation’s leading radio representation firm – are:
 • 75 percent of study respondents reported that they turn on the radio because they know their favorite personality is on the air;
 • 72 percent of respondents talk to their friends about their favorite personality or what they heard on the program;
 • Notably, listener engagement extended into the online realm, with nearly 70 percent of study participants reporting that they follow their favorite radio personalities and/or radio stations via social media channels;
 • Nearly half (47%) of all respondents considered or purchased products recommended by their favorite radio personalities;
 • More than half (51%) considered or purchased a product advertised during theirfavorite
 personality’s show; and
 • Fully 82 percent of study participants expressed feelings and exhibited behaviors consistent with the phenomenon known as “parasocial identification.”

Leading Economic Indicators Improve for San Diego in February and March

May 31, 2012

The USD Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate’s Index of Leading Economic Indicators for San Diego County rose 0.9 percent in both February and March. For March, five of the six components were up, with particularly large gains in initial claims for unemployment insurance and consumer confidence. There were smaller increases in building permits, help wanted advertising, and the outlook for the national economy. The only component not advancing was local stock prices, and they were unchanged.

MORE...Burnham-Moore (5/31)

Study: We Are So Totally Over Facebook

A Third Say They're Spending Less Time on the Site

By Bill Cromwell

Facebook's problems may go well beyond its troubled IPO.
 
As the company's stock price continues to tumble, there's word that people may be getting tired of the world's No. 1 social network, which could hurt attempts to monetize the site.
 
Further, the vast majority of Facebook users say they've never been inspired to buy something based on advertising on the site or comments they've seen there.
 
That's according to a new poll from Reuters/Ipsos, which finds that Facebook's reputation has taken a hit with the IPO woes and that engagement with the site is falling.

MORE...Medialife Magazine (6/7)

Rising Through the Ranks Training Seminar with the RAB

The Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), BMI, and Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio Group (MIW) are pleased to, once again, present Rising Through the Ranks. The two-day training seminar, dedicated to the support and advancement of women in Radio sales management, will be held in Nashville, TN on August 29 and 30 at the BMI offices.

The 2012 Rising Through the Ranks seminar will continue to enhance women's knowledge and skills in Radio sales management. Designed for veteran sellers and relatively recent managers, the seminar focuses on critical sales management techniques and encompasses everything from developing one's personal brand to budgeting and forecasting.

RAB...

The Best Cities for Tech Jobs

With Facebook poised to go public, the attention of the tech world, and Wall Street, is firmly focused on Silicon Valley. Without question, the west side of San Francisco Bay is by far the most prodigious creator of hot companies and has the highest proportion of tech jobs of any region in the country — more than four times the national average.

Yet Silicon Valley is far from leading the way in expanding science and technology-related employment in the United States.

Forbes...

Consumers Favor Watching Video Programming On TV

by Aaron Baar, 5/15/12

Despite the increasing number of options available to consumers, they’re still watching the majority of their video programming on television sets -- a behavior that has some effect on consumers’ purchase considerations.

MediaPost (5/15)...

The Real Reasons Why Brands Like GM Still Don't Like Facebook Advertising

Both the Wall Street Journal and Forbes.com reported Tuesday that General Motors has decided to stop advertising on Facebook. One of the leading brand advertisers in the world is pulling its $10 million dollar budget after concluding that paid advertising on the social media site doesn’t work and that paid ads have little influence on automobile purchasing decisions...

FORBES (5/16)

Candidates for Mayor to Debate Today, 5/16

The four major candidates for mayor of San Diego in the June 5^th primary election will make a live in-studio joint appearance today, May 16^th, on the LaDona Harvey Show on FM News and Talk 95.7 & AM 600 KOGO.

 

Carl DeMaio, Bonnie Dumanis, Bob Filner and Nathan Fletcher will answer questions from LaDona and listeners as the candidates debate the issues for about one hour starting at 1:05 p.m.

 

LaDona Harvey is asking her listeners to submit questions for the candidates in advance of this joint appearance.

 

Today’s live radio event will be the only time that all four of the major mayoral candidates will have appeared together on radio at the same time.

San Diego Radio Listeners Affluent & Well-Employed

San Diegans who listen to radio one to three hours per day are more than twice as likely as the population as a whole to have annual household income of $150,000+ and own homes with a market value of over $1,000,000, according to the newest data release from The Media Audit, Jan-Feb 2012.  They are 39% more likely to have an advanced college degree and 31% more likely to have a single and/or advanced degree than the average San Diegan. According to the study, 10.3% of the population are employed as professional or technical workers while 20.6% of those who listen to radio one - three hours a day fall into this category. They're also 31% more likely to be white collar workers. As far as the standard psychographic lifestyle classifications are considered, these radio listeners are over-represented among "Yuppies - Age 21-34/College Grad/Tech-Prof-Mgr Job" (index 242), "Maturing Yuppie - 25-44/College Grad/Tech-Prof/Kids" (index 263), "Affluent Full Nesters - $75K + Kids at Home" (index 180), "Affluent Baby Boomers - Age 46-64/$100,000+ income" (index 164) and "Young with Money - Age 18-34/$100,000+ income (index 230). They also have savings...they're 50% more likely to have liquid assets (cash/stocks/CD's/etc) valued at $250K+.

Automotive Spending Up 28.8% on San Diego Radio Stations

Automotive spending on radio showed substantial gains in the first three months of 2012 and was the strongest first quarter for the category since 2008, according to the Miller Kaplan & Arase X-Ray Report on media spending for San Diego. Factory spending almost doubled with a 91% improvement over 2011 in the first three months of the year, while dealer association spending grew 34.9% and individual dealer spending increased 14.3%. Combined spending for the three categories grew 28.8%. The increased spending corresponds with the continued improvement in local automobile sales; new car registrations were up over 10% in San Diego County in 2011. Automotive retains its position as the largest spending category on San Diego radio stations.

Of the other top ten categories, the insurance industry stays hot with an increase in spending of 48% in first quarter. Spending by television stations and networks and cable operators and networks has improved by 13.7% while the restaurant, grocery, home furnishings and casino and lottery categories all showed healthy increases over last year. The home furnishings category moved into the top ten list for radio in first quarter 2012.

Forget the “likes”…

While 75 percent said they had “liked” a profit or non-profit organization on Facebook, 69 percent said that once they “liked” the organization they rarely or never returned to the fan page, according to a new survey from a group of professors. Only 15 percent of the respondents said they visited organizations’ fan pages weekly. “It’s clear that the 18-29-year-olds are not as invested in an organization as the organization may think they are when they click the ‘like’ button or click ‘follow,’” said Dr. Tina McCorkindale, an assistant professor in Appalachian State University’s Department of Communication and a rising social media expert.

MORE... Appalachian State University News

Anytime, Anywhere Video Still Primarily Means Traditional TV At Home

But Nielsen exec says online video will play increasing role in media choices
John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/23/2012

Nielsen Vice Chairman Susan Whiting plans to tell the Senate Commerce Committee Tuesday, April 24, that while video consumers increasingly are watching video on the best screen available, on more devices and at more locations, the vast majority of that anytime, anywhere consumption (91%) is still on traditional TV in real time.

And while tablets and smart phones have fueled an explosion in digital access to video, there are still are record number of TV sets in American homes.

Whiting's written testimony, a copy of which was obtained by B&C/Multi, is based on Nielsen's latest State of the Media: Digital consumer Report.

MORE... B&C

San Diego County Retains its Position as the Fifth Largest County in the U.S.

The Census Bureau has now released the first set of population estimates since the 2010 Census. San Diego County grew by 1.44 percent, an increase of 44,756, the eighth largest numeric increase in the country. San Diego County retains its position as the fifth largest county in the U.S. Four of the ten counties in the country with the largest numeric increases are in California, including Los Angeles, Riverside and Orange County in addition to San Diego. Harris County, Texas (Houston), had the largest numeric increase in the 2011 census update, with growth of 88,452. Miami-Dade County in Florida moved ahead of Kings County, New York, to the seventh spot on the list, with all other counties retaining their relative positions.  

The top ten counties by population size in the United States as of July 1, 2011 are as follows:
1. Los Angeles County, CA 9,889,056
2. Cook County, IL 5,217,080
3. Harris County, TX 4,180,894
4. Maricopa County, AZ 3,880,244
5. San Diego County, CA 3,140,069
6. Orange County, CA 3,055,745
7. Miami-Dade County, FL 2,554,766
8. Kings County, NY 2,532,645
9. Dallas County, TX 2,416,014
10. Queens County, NY 2,247,848

The national total resident population grew by .9 percent to 311,591,917. Metro areas contain 83.8% of the total U.S. population, growing by 1.1 percent between April 1, 2010 and July 1, 2011.

2012 EAR Awards Call for Entries

It's time to submit entries for the San Diego Radio Broadcasters Association’s 14th annual EAR Awards for Effective Advertising on Radio!  This program originated from the desire to recognize and identify advertisers that were experiencing tangible, positive results using radio.

The San Diego Radio Broadcasters Association appreciates your participation, and looks forward to discovering the talent of all of our local advertisers and their creative teams.  Unlike other awards in our industry, the EAR Awards recognize radio commercials for their effective use of our medium, not just creativity. 

Please submit your entry form, script and CD / MP3 / tape by Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 5:00pm, either by e-mail, mail, or deliver to the address on the entry form. 

The winners will be announced in April 2012.

Click here to enter

Ipsos Study: Radio Has Positive Impact At All Stages Of Purchase

Download Ipsos Study Chart Ipsos Study: Radio Has Positive Impact At All Stages Of Purchase

Ipsos OTX MediaCT, in partnership with Katz Marketing Solutions, has begun an ongoing evaluation of radio campaigns. The first release of the study's results find that exposure to radio campaigns had a positive impact on consumer’s at all stages of the "purchase funnel." Bruce Friend, President of Ipsos OTX MediaCT, says, "These results have demonstrated to us the power of radio." The study compared results from people who had listened to at least one of the stations included in the campaign with a control group of people in the same markets who had not listened to those stations. Numerous brand metrics were included as well as questions that focused on the ads themselves. Ipsos OTX found that radio can be used to improve a brand at stages all the way from creating awareness to enhancing the likelihood that the consumer will recommend the brand to a friend.  It is a versatile tool that can be used to meet a variety of objectives The study looked at radio campaigns for movies, financial services, retail, consumer durables and fast food. All of them showed stronger results among radio station listeners than the control group of non-listeners. Ipsos OTX noted that radio ads need to work at an emotional level as well as a rational one, stating that "while many people see radio primarily as a way of communicating a wealth of information about a brand  these results show the importance of connecting at an emotional level with consumers.  The strength of emotional response to each ad used in the campaigns was measured using Ipsos’ proprietary Emotive Power measure. Stronger campaigns used ads with greater emotional power. This finding throws a challenge to creatives developing radio spots to generate ideas and content for ads that go beyond information and connect with the consumer." Bob McCurdy, President of Katz Marketing Solutions, adds, "We’re determined to provide advertisers with empirical proof of performance illustrating how radio positively impacts the five key branding metrics. These studies have confirmed what we’ve always have known to be true, that radio works and that its ability to positively impact marketing campaigns is far greater than its cost."

http://www.fmqb.com/article.asp?id=2328781

News & Talk Now on FM Radio

For the first time in 85 years on the air, San Diego’s AM600 KOGO is making a historic change in operations by becoming San Diego’s first News-Talk station to simulcast on FM radio at 95.7 F. The simulcast begins Monday, November 7, 2011 at 7:00 a.m. PST.  KOGO’s new name and slogan is “FM News and Talk 95.7 and AM 600 KOGO. We are San Diego”. 
 
“AM 600 KOGO has an incredibly strong brand in San Diego with its award winning News and Talk format.  The simulcast of KOGO on 95.7 FM allows us to provide complete expanded signal coverage of KOGO’s market leading news and talk programming to better serve our local community as well as our advertisers,” said Debbie Wagner, Clear Channel San Diego President / Market Manager. 
  
Since its launch in 1994 with the News/Talk format, KOGO has become the an important source for news and information to San Diegans.  During the most recent blackout 900,000+ listeners tuned in for non-stop information.  

The programming lineup at the stations includes Chip Franklin, Ladona Harvey and George Chamberlin along with national host Rush Limbaugh.
 
Joining the KOGO weekday lineup are Bryan Suits, a veteran of talk radio, having served in the military in Operation Desert Storm, Desert Shield and the War in Iraq; and Bob "Sully" Sullivan, a San Diego native and former local FM radio personality and creator/co-host of the nationally-syndicated "Big Biz Show".
 
In addition to KOGO, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment in San Diego offers San Diego listeners five other stations, Star 94.1, XTRA Sports 1360 AM, Rock 105.3, 101.5 KGB, Channel 933 and the Total Traffic Network. 
 
About Clear Channel Media and Entertainment.
With 237 million monthly listeners in the U.S., Clear Channel Radio has the largest reach of any radio or television outlet in America.  Clear Channel radio serves 150 cities through 850 owned radio stations and an additional 100 cities and 4,000 stations through its syndicated products. The company’s radio stations and content can be heard on AM/FM stations, HD digital radio channels, Sirius/XM satellite, on the Internet at iHeartRadio.com, and on the iHeartRadio mobile application on iPads, HP TouchPads and smartphones, and used via navigation systems from TomTom, Garmin and others.  The company’s operations include radio broadcasting, online and mobile services and products, syndication, music research services and independent media representation. 

Local On-Air Personality Named Outstanding Celebrity Volunteer

Honorees selected by The Association of Fundraising Professionals gathered at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront on to celebrate National Philanthropy Day and receive awards. This year's theme, One by One, stressed the importance that one person, one action can make. The ceremony appropriately was held on 11/1/11.

AJ Machado, morning show host on Star 94.1 was honored as Outstanding Celebrity Volunteer:  Each year, the Star 94.1 morning show host spends time in the Kids Crane which has resulted in more than $2.5 million in toys and raised more than $200,000 for nearly 150,000 Rady Children’s Hospital patients since 2003. Additional efforts including radiothons, has raised nearly $5 million for Rady.

Streaming TV On Rise, More Millennials Watch Trad TV

More Internet users are leading to more streamed TV or alternative TV viewing -- with young viewers leading the way. The good news for network executives: They are also watching a lot of traditional TV.

A 2011 study from Larchmont, NY-based Horowitz Associates' finds that over half of broadband Internet users --54% -- watch TV content streamed on the Internet or on an alternative TV platform on a weekly basis.

This amount is still small relative to traditional TV viewing -- just 7%, amounting to 10.8 hours a month -- versus the 149.4 hours for traditional TV. 

More...
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/161272/streaming-tv-on-rise-more-millennials-watch-trad.html