Nielsen: Strong Radio usage.

Based on the most representative sample ever seen by the radio industry, Nielsen’s newly-launched radio measurement service found that 18-34 year olds in the 51 markets covered by this service listen to the radio 21.5 hours each week – in line with all people age 12 and older. These and other findings were among the first data delivered to clients since Nielsen announced last year that it would measure radio in these markets. The survey, conducted in March/April among 119,000 consumers representing a population of 14 million, was ground-breaking in its inclusiveness.

Fifteen percent of the households in the sample are cell phone only (CPO) households, a figure that aligns with government estimates. This group, which has previously been left out of U.S. radio audience measurement, skews toward younger, tech-savvy consumers. Nielsen found that they tune in even more than 18-34 year olds, listening to the radio 23 hours per week, with a 17.1% rating. “By measuring the listening habits of 98% of the population instead of the 65% that we have been getting, Nielsen has dispelled many of the harmful untruths that have plagued our medium among the ad buying community,” said Lew Dickey, COO of Cumulus Radio. “Most notable is the notion that radio has lost its hipness and relevance among younger audiences. Nielsen’s data proves that this is clearly not the case and it will clearly lead to a stronger appreciation of radio over time.” “Nielsen is committed to setting a new quality standard in radio ratings,” said Lorraine Hadfield, Nielsen’s managing director of global radio measurement. “We have collaborated with our clients every step of the way to develop a better, more accurate approach to radio measurement and we are proud of the data that we are sharing with the marketplace.”

Nielsen’s sample represents 98% of the population in these markets thanks to its address-based sampling (ABS), which uses randomly selected home addresses rather than telephone numbers. As a result, ABS targets CPO homes and landline homes with unlisted numbers. No other measurement service comes close to this coverage.

Nielsen’s ABS method also delivered a sample never before seen by the radio industry. Sample sizes among all listeners age 12+ averaged 39% above target in the 51 markets combined. Nielsen also exceeded recruitment targets for most of the key demographics coveted by radio stations and advertisers. The hard-to-reach 18-34 demographic group came in 61% above target while the 25-54 demographic sampled at 30% above target.

Other insights into local radio listening gathered by Nielsen’s inclusive Address Based Sampling method include:

. The 12+ listener on average tunes to 2.5 stations each week. CPO listeners 12+ listen to 2.8 stations per week

. Persons 12+ have a total Average Quarter Hour (AQH) rating of 15.7 and listen for 21 hours and 57 minutes per week

. African-Americans and Hispanics in the 51 markets tune in more than the average population at 26.5 hours and 25 hours per week respectively. These growing demographics also have higher quarter hour ratings (18.9% and 18.2%) than the average population

. Radio listeners age 18- 34, which account for 27% of the measured population, have a total AQH rating of 15.6%, which is in line with the entire market.

For more information at http://en-us.nielsen.com/main/measurement/radio>