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slippage in ratings
Steepest drops for adults18-24 and teen girls
By Kevin Downey
Radio ratings are on the decline and the reason
has little to do with a falloff in listening since the Sept. 11 attacks
caused a surge in all media audiences.
Ratings among virtually all demographic groups were already
in a years-long slide well before the terrorist attacks, based on recently
released Winter 2002 data from Arbitron.
The reason has far more to do with a proliferation of media
choices, which have splintered all media audiences, and a recalculation of
the population resulting from the 2000 Census.
The decline for the average quarter-hour rating in the
past year is a modest 2 percent.
But ratings are down more for certain demographic
groups, notably young people, with declines of more than 4 percent among
adults 18-24 and female teens.
Moreover, overall ratings are down 2.7 percent in the
important early morning drive time between 6-10 a.m. and by 1.6 percent in
afternoon drive from 3-7 p.m.
The radio audience has increased by 3 percent during the same
time, however, because of growth in the overall population.
The time people spend listening to the radio has also
dropped, though.
Time spent dipped 15 minutes among people 12+ since last
winter, to 20 hours per week, by a half-hour among teens and by 15 minutes
among adults.
Although radio ratings have been dropping for the past few
years, several radio formats have been posting significant gains.
While still far from the 13.8 rating for the adult
contemporary format, some of the biggest gains have been in Spanish radio,
which had a 6.7 percent increase since last winter to an average 8 rating
in early drive time.
The urban format was up 11 percent to an 8.1 and alternative
stations were up 8 percent to a 5.4 rating.
Some of the biggest losers, based on percentage declines,
include older skewing stations.
The rating for classical stations fell 15.4 percent since
last winter, while adult standard stations were down 23.1 percent and
oldies stations dropped 11.1 percent.
Stations with a country format dropped a modest 2.3 percent.
And news/talk stations dipped only 1.5 percent to a 19.3
rating, which is in line with previous years, and remains the highest rated
of any format.
Still, while overall ratings have been falling, radio
is still among the most sought after media types by advertisers, largely
because of its ability to reach tight demographic groups with a depth of
stations in local markets.
Radio also reaches about 95 percent of people during the
average week, which has remained unchanged in the past decade.
But advertising revenue was hit hard by last year’s
recession.
Radio ad revenue fell 20.5 percent in 2001, based on national
spot radio data from CMR. Radio’s decline was the largest of any medium
and far outpaced the overall drop of 9.8 percent.
There are signs of a pickup, though.
The Radio Advertising Bureau reports ad spending increased in
the low single digits in January and March.
And UBS Warburg is projecting a 3 percent increase in
spending in 2002, the second highest percentage increase next to spot TV.
|
RADIO USAGE TRENDS |
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|
Demographic |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
% Change |
|
Persons 12+ |
16.0 |
15.7 |
15.3 |
15.0 |
-2.0 |
|
Teens 12 - 17 |
11.0 |
10.7 |
10.2 |
10.0 |
-2.0 |
|
Persons 18+ |
16.5 |
16.2 |
15.8 |
15.5 |
-1.9 |
|
Persons 18-24 |
15.7 |
15.4 |
14.8 |
14.2 |
-4.1 |
|
Persons 25-34 |
17.2 |
16.8 |
16.3 |
16.0 |
-1.8 |
|
Persons 35-44 |
17.0 |
16.8 |
16.4 |
16.2 |
-1.2 |
|
Persons 45-49 |
16.7 |
16.5 |
16.2 |
16.2 |
0.0 |
|
Persons 50-54 |
16.4 |
15.9 |
15.9 |
15.8 |
-0.6 |
|
Persons 55-64 |
16.4 |
16.3 |
15.9 |
15.8 |
-0.6 |
|
Persons 65+ |
15.5 |
15.1 |
14.9 |
14.5 |
-2.7 |
|
Persons 18-34 |
16.6 |
16.3 |
15.7 |
15.3 |
-2.5 |
|
Persons 25-54 |
16.9 |
16.7 |
16.2 |
16.1 |
-0.6 |
|
Persons 35-64 |
16.7 |
16.5 |
16.1 |
16.0 |
-0.6 |
|
Persons 35+ |
16.5 |
16.2 |
15.9 |
15.7 |
-1.3 |
|
Men 12+ |
16.2 |
15.9 |
15.5 |
15.3 |
-1.3 |
|
Boys 12-17 |
9.4 |
8.9 |
8.5 |
8.5 |
0.0 |
|
Men 18+ |
17.0 |
16.7 |
16.3 |
16.1 |
-1.2 |
|
Women 12+ |
15.7 |
15.5 |
15.0 |
14.7 |
-2.0 |
|
Girls 12-17 |
12.7 |
12.6 |
12.0 |
11.5 |
-4.2 |
|
Women 18+ |
16.0 |
15.8 |
15.3 |
15.0 |
-2.0 |
|
Source: Arbitron, Winter 2002 |
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|
RADIO FORMATS |
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|
Category |
Format |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
% Change |
|
Adult Contemporary |
14.9 |
14.3 |
13.4 |
13.8 |
3.0 |
|
|
A/C |
7.9 |
8.1 |
7.2 |
7.4 |
2.8 |
|
|
HOT A/C |
3.2 |
3.1 |
3.0 |
3.4 |
13.3 |
|
|
MOD A/C |
1.1 |
1.0 |
1.2 |
1.1 |
-8.3 |
|
|
SOFTA/C |
2.7 |
2.1 |
2.0 |
1.8 |
-10.0 |
|
|
Alternative |
5.6 |
5.5 |
5.0 |
5.4 |
8.0 |
|
|
AAA |
0.7 |
0.8 |
0.7 |
0.7 |
0.0 |
|
|
ALTERN |
3.3 |
3.1 |
4.3 |
4.7 |
9.3 |
|
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NW ROCK |
1.6 |
1.7 |
||||
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Contemporary Hits Radio |
9.8 |
10.4 |
10.6 |
10.8 |
1.9 |
|
|
CHR |
9.8 |
9.9 |
||||
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POP CHR |
0.3 |
6.9 |
6.7 |
-2.9 |
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|
RHY CHR |
0.2 |
3.7 |
4.2 |
13.5 |
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|
Classical |
1.3 |
1.3 |
1.3 |
1.1 |
-15.4 |
|
|
CLASSCL |
1.3 |
1.3 |
1.3 |
1.1 |
-15.4 |
|
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Country |
9.3 |
9.0 |
8.8 |
8.6 |
-2.3 |
|
|
CLCNTRY |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
0.0 |
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COUNTRY |
8.6 |
8.3 |
8.2 |
8.0 |
-2.4 |
|
|
NWCNTRY |
0.6 |
0.5 |
0.4 |
0.3 |
-25.0 |
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Adult Standards |
3.2 |
3.0 |
2.6 |
2.0 |
-23.1 |
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|
EZ LIST |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
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MOR |
2.2 |
1.9 |
1.9 |
1.5 |
-21.1 |
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|
NOSTLGA |
0.5 |
0.5 |
0.5 |
0.3 |
-40.0 |
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VARIETY |
0.3 |
0.3 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.0 |
|
|
New AC/Smooth Jazz |
2.2 |
2.0 |
2.1 |
2.2 |
4.8 |
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JAZZ |
0.1 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
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|
NAC |
2.1 |
2.0 |
2.1 |
2.1 |
0.0 |
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News/Talk/Information |
19.7 |
19.1 |
19.6 |
19.3 |
-1.5 |
|
|
ALLNEWS |
4.0 |
4.0 |
3.8 |
3.9 |
2.6 |
|
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ALLSPRT |
2.1 |
2.1 |
2.3 |
2.4 |
4.3 |
|
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NWSTALK |
11.4 |
11.0 |
11.0 |
10.6 |
-3.6 |
|
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TALK |
2.2 |
2.0 |
2.4 |
2.5 |
4.2 |
|
|
Oldies |
6.8 |
7.6 |
8.1 |
7.2 |
-11.1 |
|
|
70 HITS |
1.0 |
0.9 |
0.8 |
0.9 |
12.5 |
|
|
80 HITS |
1.1 |
0.8 |
-27.3 |
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|
OLDIES |
5.8 |
5.5 |
5.1 |
4.9 |
-3.9 |
|
|
RHY OLD |
1.2 |
1.1 |
0.6 |
-45.5 |
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|
Religious |
2.2 |
2.5 |
2.7 |
2.7 |
0.0 |
|
|
CHRSTN |
0.3 |
0.5 |
0.6 |
0.8 |
33.3 |
|
|
GOSPEL |
0.7 |
0.9 |
1.0 |
0.9 |
-10.0 |
|
|
RELGOUS |
1.2 |
1.1 |
1.1 |
1.0 |
-9.1 |
|
|
SGOSPEL |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
|
Remaining Formats |
0.3 |
0.3 |
0.4 |
0.2 |
-50.0 |
|
|
CHLDRAD |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.1 |
0.0 |
-100.0 |
|
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EDUCAT |
||||||
|
ETHNIC |
0.1 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.0 |
|
|
R&B |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
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|
Rock |
11.0 |
10.6 |
10.5 |
10.3 |
-1.9 |
|
|
70SROCK |
0.0 |
|||||
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ACTROCK |
1.4 |
2.1 |
50.0 |
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|
AOR |
6.7 |
6.3 |
4.3 |
3.1 |
-27.9 |
|
|
CL ROCK |
4.3 |
4.3 |
4.9 |
5.1 |
4.1 |
|
|
Spanish |
6.7 |
7.3 |
7.5 |
8.0 |
6.7 |
|
|
MEX REG |
2.9 |
3.3 |
13.8 |
|||
|
SP CONT |
2.1 |
2.1 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
0.0 |
|
|
SP LANG |
0.8 |
0.3 |
0.0 |
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|
SP NEWS |
0.3 |
1.0 |
0.9 |
0.8 |
-11.1 |
|
|
SP REG |
2.3 |
2.6 |
||||
|
SP TROP |
1.0 |
1.1 |
1.1 |
1.2 |
9.1 |
|
|
SP VRTY |
0.0 |
0.2 |
0.5 |
0.6 |
20.0 |
|
|
TEJANO |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.0 |
|
|
Urban |
7.1 |
7.1 |
7.3 |
8.1 |
11.0 |
|
|
URB A/C |
2.4 |
2.5 |
2.6 |
3.0 |
15.4 |
|
|
URB OLD |
0.5 |
0.2 |
0.3 |
0.2 |
-33.3 |
|
|
URBAN |
4.2 |
4.4 |
4.5 |
5.0 |
11.1 |
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|
Source: Arbitron, Winter 2002 |
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|
RADIO FORMATS |
||||||
|
Category |
Format |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
% Change |
|
Adult Contemporary |
16.3 |
15.6 |
14.5 |
14.7 |
1.4 |
|
|
A/C |
8.5 |
8.6 |
7.9 |
7.9 |
0.0 |
|
|
HOT A/C |
3.5 |
3.5 |
3.1 |
3.6 |
16.1 |
|
|
MOD A/C |
1.4 |
1.1 |
1.2 |
1.1 |
-8.3 |
|
|
SOFTA/C |
2.9 |
2.4 |
2.2 |
2.0 |
-9.1 |
|
|
Alternative |
5.2 |
5.1 |
4.9 |
5.6 |
14.3 |
|
|
AAA |
0.9 |
0.9 |
0.8 |
0.9 |
12.5 |
|
|
ALTERN |
3.5 |
3.2 |
4.0 |
4.7 |
17.5 |
|
|
NW ROCK |
0.8 |
0.9 |
||||
|
Contemporary Hits Radio |
11.9 |
12.9 |
13.2 |
13.2 |
0.0 |
|
|
CHR |
11.9 |
12.3 |
||||
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POP CHR |
0.3 |
8.3 |
7.8 |
-6.0 |
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|
RHY CHR |
0.4 |
4.9 |
5.4 |
10.2 |
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|
Classical |
1.7 |
1.7 |
1.7 |
1.5 |
-11.8 |
|
|
CLASSCL |
1.7 |
1.7 |
1.7 |
1.5 |
-11.8 |
|
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Country |
9.3 |
9.0 |
8.9 |
8.5 |
-4.5 |
|
|
CLCNTRY |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.3 |
50.0 |
|
|
COUNTRY |
8.6 |
8.4 |
8.2 |
7.9 |
-3.7 |
|
|
NWCNTRY |
0.5 |
0.4 |
0.4 |
0.4 |
0.0 |
|
|
Adult Standards |
3.5 |
3.1 |
2.8 |
2.0 |
-28.6 |
|
|
EZ LIST |
0.3 |
0.2 |
0.1 |
0.0 |
-100.0 |
|
|
MOR |
2.4 |
2.1 |
2.0 |
1.6 |
-20.0 |
|
|
NOSTLGA |
0.6 |
0.6 |
0.6 |
0.3 |
-50.0 |
|
|
VARIETY |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.1 |
-50.0 |
|
|
New AC/Smooth Jazz |
3.1 |
2.8 |
3.0 |
3.0 |
0.0 |
|
|
JAZZ |
0.1 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
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NAC |
2.9 |
2.8 |
2.9 |
3.0 |
3.4 |
|
|
News/Talk/Information |
15.8 |
15.4 |
16.2 |
16.6 |
2.5 |
|
|
ALLNEWS |
2.3 |
2.1 |
2.2 |
2.2 |
0.0 |
|
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ALLSPRT |
2.4 |
2.5 |
2.6 |
2.8 |
7.7 |
|
|
NWSTALK |
8.9 |
8.3 |
8.5 |
8.8 |
3.5 |
|
|
TALK |
2.1 |
2.5 |
3.0 |
2.9 |
-3.3 |
|
|
Oldies |
7.7 |
8.5 |
9.0 |
7.9 |
-12.2 |
|
|
70 HITS |
1.2 |
1.0 |
0.8 |
0.9 |
12.5 |
|
|
80 HITS |
1.4 |
1.1 |
-21.4 |
|||
|
OLDIES |
6.5 |
6.0 |
5.4 |
5.1 |
-5.6 |
|
|
RHY OLD |
1.6 |
1.4 |
0.8 |
-42.9 |
||
|
Religious |
2.0 |
2.3 |
2.4 |
2.5 |
4.2 |
|
|
CHRSTN |
0.3 |
0.5 |
0.6 |
0.8 |
33.3 |
|
|
GOSPEL |
0.7 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.9 |
12.5 |
|
|
RELGOUS |
1.0 |
0.9 |
0.9 |
0.8 |
-11.1 |
|
|
SGOSPEL |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
|
Remaining Formats |
0.3 |
0.4 |
0.3 |
0.2 |
-33.3 |
|
|
CHLDRAD |
0.0 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.0 |
-100.0 |
|
|
EDUCAT |
||||||
|
ETHNIC |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.0 |
|
|
R&B |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.0 |
-100.0 |
|
|
Rock |
9.8 |
9.1 |
9.2 |
9.0 |
-2.2 |
|
|
70SROCK |
0.0 |
|||||
|
ACTROCK |
1.2 |
1.7 |
41.7 |
|||
|
AOR |
5.4 |
5.0 |
3.5 |
2.6 |
-25.7 |
|
|
CL ROCK |
4.4 |
4.2 |
4.5 |
4.7 |
4.4 |
|
|
Spanish |
5.7 |
6.4 |
6.0 |
6.5 |
8.3 |
|
|
MEX REG |
2.0 |
2.4 |
20.0 |
|||
|
SP CONT |
1.9 |
2.2 |
1.9 |
2.0 |
5.3 |
|
|
SP LANG |
0.6 |
0.3 |
0.0 |
|||
|
SP NEWS |
0.4 |
0.8 |
0.7 |
0.6 |
-14.3 |
|
|
SP REG |
1.7 |
1.9 |
||||
|
SP TROP |
0.9 |
0.7 |
0.7 |
0.8 |
14.3 |
|
|
SP VRTY |
0.0 |
0.2 |
0.5 |
0.6 |
20.0 |
|
|
TEJANO |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.0 |
|
|
Urban |
7.8 |
7.6 |
7.8 |
8.8 |
12.8 |
|
|
URB A/C |
2.2 |
2.1 |
2.4 |
2.7 |
12.5 |
|
|
URB OLD |
0.5 |
0.2 |
0.3 |
0.2 |
-33.3 |
|
|
URBAN |
5.0 |
5.2 |
5.1 |
5.9 |
15.7 |
|
|
Source: Arbitron, Winter 2002 |
||||||
May 29, 2002 © 2002 Media Life
-Kevin Downey is a staff writer for Media Life
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