As monolithic data companies grow increasingly reticent to release audience data, StatsRadio™ is boldly—and proudly—setting out in the opposite direction by announcing the release of regular public updates on the audience performance of regional radio stations.
“We don’t just believe in the future of radio; we know this future is bright for a fact,” says Louis-Philippe Sutton, President of StatsRadio. “We are more than willing to demonstrate that regional radio is still going strong and performing better than most would think or make you think.”
Sutton says with advertisers and agencies constantly being bombarded with data from digital media, the radio industry needs to fight back. He asserts that going public with audience data—while bigger data companies are increasingly more secretive—will help communicate that radio has a key role to play in any well-grounded advertising plan.
“The current perception is that radio is in worse shape than it is,” said Sutton. “Currently, the reach of most small market stations is 50 to 80% of the market. This shows agencies that we still exist and that, particularly in a small market, we’re still a good way to advertise.”
StatsRadio provides daily performance data for nearly 150 stations, and plans to publish the total reach and weekly listening hours in the A18+ category for participating radio stations on its website StatsRadio.com, beginning June 1.
By making audience data public for voluntarily partnering regional stations, StatsRadio wants to give them the opportunity of demonstrating their continued, if not heightened, relevance.
The data will be presented in the form of a 15-week average for the June publication and 11-week average for subsequent publication in December with an eye to turning the release into a “currency” for regional radio.
“StatsRadio, is in fact, the long-awaited solution for regional broadcasters. A tool that allows us to better sell our stations to local, regional and national opportunities,” said Serge Parent, President, Directeur général, and CEO of Radio Edmundston Inc., which operates Frontiere FM (CJEM-FM). “The tool allows us to understand our audience better and thus, better adapt our programming to meet the needs of our communities. It’s hard to imagine the time before StatsRadio!”
About StatsRadio™
StatsRadio is a nimble Canadian company that provides business intelligence that connects radio broadcasters and advertisers. StatsRadio has revolutionized radio audience measurement with an innovative approach to online/offline listenership ratios, providing daily performance data for nearly 150 radio stations in Canada.
