Radio currently faces a variety of serious challenges. In terms of tuning, things remain quite positive for the medium. Radio continues to boast an 80% reach for A12+. In home and out of home tuning are roughly split 50/50. It continues to perform fairly well at retail. So far, so good.

On the other hand, consolidation and cuts have been taking place at radio groups across the country with audience measurement facing challenges like never before seen.

As mentioned previously, Numeris is in the process of replacing diaries with a different approach: Radio Local+. 

The introduction of Radio Local+ by Numeris marks a fundamental shift in Canadian radio audience measurement – replacing traditional online diaries in 22 markets with a system built primarily on passive broadcaster streaming data, supplemented by Random Digit Dialing (RDD) and Day-After-Recall (DAR) surveys.

While removing sample-size limitations, this transition raises critical questions about data integrity, commercial impact, and transparency ahead of its December launch:

• Why the sudden jump in streaming estimates? Numeris previously reported that live AM/FM streaming accounted for 11% of radio consumption, but now estimates it at 20%. Was prior reporting undercounting streaming, or is current estimation overcorrecting?

• How will non-streaming audiences be modelled without distortion? Streaming listeners differ sharply from over-the-air and in-car listeners. Extrapolating total market behaviour from a streaming-first dataset risks severe demographic skews, particularly over-representing younger audiences while undercounting older listeners.

• Which methodology actually reflects reality? Numeris confirms Radio Local+ will yield results significantly different from traditional diaries. Different methods naturally produce different numbers, but for an industry trading on audience metrics, broadcasters need to know which system delivers the true reflection of listenership.

• Who handles the financial fallout? Methodological shifts inevitably create arbitrary “winners and losers” among stations. With ad revenues directly tied to these figures, sudden rank shifts could severely impact station viability.

Radio Local+ may capture previously unrecorded streaming listenership, but adopting a complex predictive model without full algorithmic transparency creates a high level of commercial risk. Before the industry transitions, Numeris must clearly demonstrate how its modelling protects market accuracy.

For those relying on radio for their livelihood, it is important to adequately answer the questions that arise. Before we leap, we need to know where we will land.

David Bray is President of Bray & Partners Communications.

Feel free to forward questions and inquiries:

Phone: (416)431-5792
E-mail : davidbray@brayandpartners.com
Web sites: brayandpartners.com, davidbray.ca