| All homes in Australia have at least one radio**.
Radio is the ‘most personal’ of media; it is interactive, live, local, human and omnipresent. Radio delivers up-to-date news, information and entertainment while engaging listeners making their way through the day. Whether at home, at work, in the car or just out and about, radio reaches audiences in a timely manner.
There are approximately 22 million radio sets across the 5 capital cities; every household has at least one radio and on average has 4.2 sets. Three quarters of people in the 5 capital cities are reached by commercial radio and over 30% listen to non commercial radio every week*.
Listed below are the different types of radio stations in Australia**:
- Over 260 Commercial Stations
- 5 National Radio (ABC) stations
- Over 230 Community Stations
- Low power narrow casting and temporary community stations - approx. 1,500
And from May 2009 all Metropolitan stations will be broadcasting in digital (DAB) providing even more choice for Australian radio listeners.
*Source: Nielsen Radio Advisor, Survey #6 2008, P10+, SMBAP
**Source: Commercial Radio Australia (Oct 2008)
Nielsen Media holds the contract with Commercial Radio Australia to provide the audience ratings service to stations and the market-place. This Radio Ratings information is the industry standard for radio audience measurement and is only available to subscribers.
Markets
The markets of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth produce eight surveys each year. Other regularly surveyed markets include Newcastle, Gold Coast/Tweed, Canberra and Central Coast, with many other markets surveying on a less frequent basis.
How Our Clients Use Radio Ratings
Radio audience estimates (ratings) provide our clients in the radio and advertising industries with a common currency to buy and sell radio airtime and to plan programming. Nielsen provides a comprehensive service to subscribers including:
- The data for use in our analysis software, Radio Advisor
- Educational programmes and booklets on the use and understanding of the data
- Constant contact from an experienced team of Client Service executives who are on call at all times to assist the client base
Radio networks and individual stations.
Radio Ratings are used by programming, statistics, sales teams and by publicity and promotions. They provide:
- A sales tool for marketing individual target audiences
- An evaluation of the effectiveness of programming and personalities
- A method of establishing the value of commercial air time
- Assistance with the effective scheduling of advertising and station promotional material
- A guide to audience loyalty
- A tool to research changes and trends in radio listening levels and behaviour
Radio representation houses, advertising agencies and advertisers.
Radio Ratings assist strategists, researchers and planner/buyers to:
- Provide a demographic profile of target audiences and track their listening habits
- Create reach and frequency objectives and set realistic targets
- Plan advertising campaigns
- Provide detailed demographic information
Methodology
Nielsen Radio listening data is collected by means of a weekly diary of listening. Placement is made using a stratified multistage probability sample. Minimum effective samples for the five major markets range from 1,750 to 2,400. A one week diary is used by each individual in the survey. Each diary contains adequate space for the individual to record all of his or her radio listening, both at home and away, by placing crosses in each quarter hour of listening.
Diary placements and collections are made by specially selected and trained interviewers supervised by permanent Field Supervisors. One diary is left for each person aged 10 years and above within a household.
Using Radio Advisor
Nielsen is committed to adding value to ratings information via fast and flexible analysis tools such as Radio Advisor. Radio Advisor re-analysis software package is specifically designed for quick, easy and flexible analysis of radio audience surveys find out more
 2008 Radio Ratings Survival Kit
 2008 Radio Survey Calendar
 2008 Radio Training Schedule
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