All Numbers Are Up at SiriusXM

4-28-15

First quarter revenue for the Satellite company was up 8% to $1.08 Billion. The company also added 431 thousand new subscribers, a 61% increase from the 267 thousand added in the first quarter of 2014. Free cash flow of $276 million was up 24%, while free cash flow per share of $0.49 was up 36%. SiriusXM now has 27.7 million paying subscribers. The company has increased its 2015 revenue and subsciber guidance, now projecting it will generate $4.47 Billion in revenue and add 1.4 million new subscribers rather than 1.2 million.

SiriusXM Chief Financial Officer & Executive Vice President David Frear said, "For the second quarter in a row, we have been pleasantly surprised by the strength of our subscriber performance. Once again, the quarter was a little better than we expected on all fronts resulting in a lot better than we expected in total. All acquisition channels, new car, used car, win back and aftermarket are performing well; and with improved churn, it was the best first quarter for self-pay net adds that we have had in seven years. You have to go back to the first quarter of 2008 to find a bigger quarter ? first quarter for us."

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Big Social Numbers For iHeart Awards

The 2015 iHeartRadio Music Awards, which took place on March 29, generated more than 14 billion social media impressions throughout the promotional period of the show; nearly 75 percent higher than 2014's 8.5 billion, and almost triple that of the Academy Awards. Social media engagement data showed the awards program was the number-one trending show on Twitter that night and week, surpassing Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards, Pretty Little Liars, Scandal, and The Walking Dead season finale.

iHeartRadio Chief Product Office Chris Williams said, "The social success of the iHeartRadio Music Awards was fueled by our local radio stations and personalities engaging in a live, real-time conversation with fans before, during and after the awards, both on-air and through social. We also engaged with fans through new social integrations including live behind-the-scenes Twitter Periscope broadcasts and an iHeartAwards Snapchat 'Our Story' which was populated by the audience, nominated artists, and Ryan Seacrest, whose backstage snaps kept viewers coming back for more."

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Pandora Releases Final Monthly Numbers

6-4-14

In May, Pandora says it had 9.13 percent of all U.S radio listening, that's down from 9.28 percent last month. Listener hours for May were 1.73 billion, up from 1.7 million in April. Active listeners in May were 77.0 million, up from 76 million in April. Pandora announced in March that this would be its final monthly metrics release. The company will release quarterly numbers during its earnings calls.

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The Real Numbers Behind The NextRadio App

3-20-14

If you live in the Internet World you may be fogged by the false belief that every company that launches is an instant success, goes public, and everyone involved becomes filthy rich overnight. In the real world, new businesses need time. They need time to grow. They need time to market. They need time to be agile and adjust to the fast-moving consumer who wants this thing today and that gadget tomorrow. Pandora, while wildly successful today, launched back in 1999. It would be many years - and a name change - before Pandora would become the audio juggernaut it is today. Will NextRadio be the app that puts Radio on every smartphone in America? Time will tell. For now, the service has the backing of Sprint, and most of radio's biggest broadcast companies. Consumers appear to like the app once they know its available. Will saving data become the driving factor that helps catapult the app to the masses? Hard to know. For sure, if radio stations do what they do best - offer great content - the app will continue to grow. To get you up to speed heading into the NAB show in Las Vegas, here's an interview with Emmis' Chief Technology Officer Paul Brenner.

(3/22/2014 1:35:30 AM)
The problem here is that the radio industry focuses on new technology over spending money on promotion and content. It is all about content. If you have superior content and the ability to promote it the audience will consume it wherever it is.

The radio industry with its lack of superior content and 10 minute long stop sets has the fate of the Titanic. Everyone continues to rearange the deck chairs while no one wants to change course so the ship doesn't hit the iceburg. It will hit the iceburg

(3/22/2014 1:31:44 AM)
Sorry, but you're wrong. Yes, Pandora started in 1999- but there were no smart phones then. Now smart phones have penetrated 65% of the market and this app is nowhere. That's not my opinion, it's reality.

Maybe it will get traction and I hope it does, but broadcasters need to know that this will just be one slice of the pie, not the whole pie.

(3/22/2014 1:24:11 AM)
The problem with this app growing is that most of the programming on radio is crap. Nobody wants to hear it unless they have no other alternative. Nobody wants the 10 minute long stop sets and 1970s Star Wars Imaging.
I am currently on a trip to Vail in Colorado.
On the bus trip from Denver the driver is playing Pandora
At the ski lifts they are blasting Serious XM or Pandora.
Took a ride on a snow cat and the driver was listening to something called InetRadio on his smart phone. No radio
(3/21/2014 4:33:55 PM)
Here are some actual numbers for you: http://www.markramseymedia.com/2014/03/is-nextradio-growing-or-sinking/
(3/21/2014 1:20:40 PM)
Sorry, just saw the link to the interview. :)

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Here Are The Cumulus Numbers For Q3

10-28-13
Cumulus released Q3 numbers Tuesday, and revenue in July, August, and September was up $5.7 million to $281.1 million (2.1%), compared to $275.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2012. Cumulus CEO Lew Dickey said 42 of the 60 categories the company tracks showed positive growth in the quarter. (Auto made up 14% of total Q3 revenue.) "We have a well-functioning sales organization today. We have turned nine of our 10 code-red stations around and we're making a stronger effort to execute our sales strategy and sales plan."

This increase was primarily attributable to a $4.6 million increase in local spot advertising revenue, an increase of $2.1 million in national advertising revenue, an increase of $1.3 million in live event revenue, and an increase of $0.9 million in revenue due to the addition of stations in the Bloomington and Peoria markets which were acquired in July 2012, all of which was partially offset by a decrease of $2.9 million in cyclical political revenues.

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"Michael Savage Will Deliver Cumulus The Numbers"

10-17-13

Michael Savage received a pre-game pep talk from the boss Thursday afternoon that wowed him so much he wanted a copy of it to play on his show. Cumulus co-COO John Dickey heaped praise on the veteran broadcaster as the company introduced the talker to PD's all over the country in anticipation of his January 1 move to afternoon drive. Cumulus picked up Savage after he left TRN and is moving him from his 9PM live slot to 3PM on many Cumulus stations. The Savage move comes on the heels of Cumulus and Sean Hannity parting ways. Dickey said, "I think he is going to do a wonderful job and ultimately deliver numbers, and that's what it's all about. I'm thrilled to be in business with Michael." Here's more from Dickey

The Savage Nation will air on more than 200 affiliates of Cumulus Media Networks, including 60 stations owned and operated by Cumulus. Some of the cities where include: New York (WABC), Chicago (WLS), Dallas (WBAP), Washington(WMAL), San Francisco (KSFO) and WJR (Detroit). Dickey said, "We believe having Michael on some of our biggest stations is really going to be impactful. Talk radio has gone through a lot of ups and downs in the last couple of years. Ultimately what I think is going to lead the way out of some of those low points is more compelling content. When you think about compelling content the things that come to mind tends to be people that are extremely smart, curious, intellectually adventurous and people that are not afraid to take risks. Not afraid to look at a lot of things that are wrong with our country and society and are able to relate that and tell it in ways that are humorous, insightful, direct and thought provoking. That's a very hard set of criteria, to be able to find someone to be able to carry off in today's day and in today's day and age it's been very hard set of criteria to to get talk show hosts to live up live up to since Rush heralded his show back in the 80's. Michael Savage has come into this business lined up wonderfully with all of those criteria."

Dickey continued with his praise for Savage, calling him an extremely well-read and smart person. "As we all know there is a fine line between intellectual genius and craziness and Michael walks that line wonderfully. He was of the most thought provoking people that I have ever met. He's a great storyteller. In talk radio we are in the business of theater of the mind, getting people to spend more time with us by telling compelling stories and challenging people. Michael understands that as well as anybody. Dr. Savage brings an amazing intellect, an amazing curiosity, a passion, an ability to tell stories, an unending curiosity to explore and challenge his listeners to join him on that journey. He wakes up every day living and breathing this. His energy is commendable, his desire to compete in every market that he's in, I have never seen anything like it before."

(10/18/2013 12:23:05 PM)
I own one of the many stations that lost Savage in his battle with TRN. While I'm selfishly sad for us... I'm very happy for Michael's success! He's one of the best (along with Thayrone and Beck)...after a year of struggle...he deserves his new timeslot and will surely rise to the top! Congratulations Michael and Mrs. S~ all the best from your pals at WAAM Radio in Ann Arbor!
(10/18/2013 10:57:56 AM)
Fantastic. I cannot wait for Michael to switch over in January. I just hope that he can continue along as he always has, and will not be told what he can and can't do/say on air. What makes him so entertaining is how he runs his show - HIS OWN WAY.
(10/18/2013 7:54:31 AM)
It might be a win-win for Cumulus and Savage, but does not offer much to the listeners in all of those markets.

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Emmis Updates NextRadio Numbers

10-15-13

A new blog posting from the Emmis Tagstation team states that the NextRadio app has now been downloaded 40,000 times, is up to 12,000 hours of radio listening, and has an 84 percent retention rate. Last Friday, Samsung Galaxy Note launched with the app and "caused a marked jump in downloads, getting thousands of new activations in the first weekend of launch," according to Emmis. Over the next month, a handful of additional phones will be released with the app.

(10/16/2013 6:39:28 AM)
Radio reaches 93% of the population.
The population is 314 million people.
292 million people reached by radio.

1 month into this new consumer feature there are 40,000 downloads and 12,000 hours of listening.

Are these stats then reason for optimism?

(10/16/2013 6:07:33 AM)
Yea, we believe whatever Jeff and Sprint say!

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Field Questions Pandora Numbers

9-17-13

It's not unusual for Entercom CEO David Field to give a keynote presentation focusing on the positives of radio. Whenever he has a chance, he consistently tells a story about radio's strong listenership, extraordinary reach, and local consumer engagement. "The sky is not falling for broadcast radio," Field told attendees of Kurt Hanson's RAIN Summit in Orlando Tuesday. "Radio reaches 93% of the American public year after year.? But Field did enter some new territory, going into an area where very few others have been willing to go -- at least in public: He challenged Pandora? listening numbers.

For what seems like years, Pandora has claimed approximately 7% of all radio listening. Those numbers are never questioned or challenged by analysts, and Pandora doesn't provide details on the methodology used to calculate those numbers. Field says they refuse to explain it, adding, "If you measure hours served, does that really mean hours listening? There is a massive audience gap. Broadcast radio has 20 times the audience of Pandora." Field was not done, though. He spoke about radio's local activation, saying, "Pandora does not bring any of that to the table."

And Field took aim at targeted advertising, which Pandora is very big on, and very good at. He said if you place a buy for  the 25-54 demo, that?s all you get. "With radio, if you place a buy in the 25-54 demo, you get all of that and the bonus weight of outside demos." Field was making the argument that when you buy radio, you get more. And he said radio is the single greatest way for consumers to discover music -- another zing at Pandora, which has claimed radio has dropped the ball on discovery.

Field then went back to his pro-radio presentation: "We entertain and inform. We deliver news and information. We set the mood for you. Radio is a community lifeline. Listeners are attached to their radio stations. The future of radio is bright. The opportunity is great. Listenership is growing. Radio continues to innovate at a rapid pace. Radio is playing offense in a bigger way than it ever has before. We are living in the golden age of radio, and our best days lie ahead."

(9/20/2013 5:15:14 AM)
Local is a lie! Even in "the most beautiful small town in America" the AM station & FM translator are 66% owned by out of town interest and the on-air staff is unprofessional. News is ripped off the internet or local newspapers' website. Commercials have no creativity, just " we're the best, come buy from us..." But then again the "local newspaper" is Landmark and it takes millions of dollars out of the community with its cozy little monopoly of cable add insertions, that takes 80% away...
(9/18/2013 11:34:16 AM)
we in radio have nothing to fear from audio/music players. As was stated in earlier comments...reel to reel, 8 track, cassette, CD, thumb drive, ipod, smart phone - music/audio players have always been here...radio is not just a music/audio player. radio is an experience. the radio industry has never stated that everyone is listening...just those individuals (large number) that love what radio does for them. its how the experience is delivered and recieved that is changing.
(9/18/2013 11:26:36 AM)
As a retired commercial and public radio guy I have to respond. Watching the transitions in radio has been sad. Quit worrying about the station I listen to (Pandora) every night when I go to bed, and start working on making real radio work at the local level. Thank the big guys for ruining it and send them on their way. Go back to local relationships and a real sense of understanding your audience. Make it relevent and pay good people who care about good local presentation in content.
(9/18/2013 11:18:15 AM)
Radio is alive and thriving in small market America where the majority of statons are local and are the lifeline to the community. Pandora is not RADIO. Our industry needs to not give them the name. They are an Internet streaming music service and that is how they should be referred to.
(9/18/2013 10:27:47 AM)
"We entertain and inform. We deliver news and information..Radio is a community lifeline...Radio continues to innovate."

Come on. Truth is radio news departments are almost non existant since dereg. Syndication and voice tracking prevail. National program directors -- far aawy from "community" dictate music and features are dictating what goes on the air. "Innovation" seems to be on cost cutting and streaming catch up.

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DuBose Says Cox Asked Him To Fudge Numbers

6-10-13

David DuBose was in a unique position in Birmingham, Alabama. As the Market Manager for Cox he was responsible for preparing budgets for the company. When the stations went up for sale, he was also part of SummitMedia, the group that eventually purchased the Birmingham cluster, giving him inside information about the financials. Now, DuBose is claiming in his lawsuit, for back pay that Cox directed him to prepare "unrealistic and wholly unreachable revenue and expense targets for 2012."

Dubose claims, "Cox used these inflated and unrealistic figures in preparing revenue reports for their eight Birmingham-area radio stations in calculating the stations' performance goals for 2012. Upon information and belief, Cox also used inflated and unrealistic figures in preparing the revenue reports for radio stations outside of the Birmingham market which were eventually sold by Cox for the purpose of enhancing the sale prices of those stations."

When asked for a comment about the DuBose allegation, a Cox spokesman said they do not comment on pending litigation.

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(SALES) Selling Without Numbers

4-19-2013

Does your sales team understand what it means to sell without numbers? What if you had a sales mantra that said, ?It?s critical that we sell results,? or, ?We sell solutions that produce a solid return on investment?? The question ?How do I sell without numbers?? creates a belief that unless you have numbers, you are doomed to failure ? and that if you have numbers, you?ll be the big winner.

Don?t get me wrong, I know having numbers (ratings) is important when dealing with transactional business. But it?s not the most important thing to business owners who care about driving results.

Your ratings and how you compare to your competition are a gigantic distraction to the sales effort. Instead of worrying about how your audience size compares to your rival across the street, you should focus more on areas like weekly quality appointments with new prospects and key customers, producing results, proving return on investment, and earning renewal business. Selling without numbers doesn?t have to be an issue, if you concentrate on the numbers that actually matter the most.

Selling without ratings is all about changing your paradigm and focusing on the right numbers. Here are five vital areas that will lead to your sales success.

Quality appointments. Are you holding your team, or yourself, accountable for the number of weekly quality appointments with new prospects and key customers? These would be appointments where you have a specific agenda that includes finding needs and presenting ideas. This is a real number you can measure, and if you have this number on your side, you are going to find plenty of success.

Customer service. What if you surveyed all of your best customers once or twice a year to see how you were doing at meeting their expectations? Create a costumer satisfaction index, and hold yourself accountable for the score earned. Then build a plan to continually improve in this very critical area. If your team is providing top-level customer service and scoring high in your CSI, you are on your way to revenue success.

Producing results. Results are the key to long-term success. If there is a number your sales team needs to win, it?s the number of success stories and case studies that show your station or stations delivering results. The sales team that can show the most and best examples is going to earn the most business from the business owners that matter. While others might beat their chests with ratings numbers, your team will be able to point to the number of local businesses that have been able to grow because of the good work you are providing.

Proving return on investment. The secret to building strong ROI is making sure clear expectations have been set before the campaign starts. Then set up weekly or biweekly ROI meetings with your client to check in and see how things are working and determine what changes may need to be made to deliver the necessary return on investment. The numbers that matter the most to a client are the ROI numbers, and by focusing more on your client?s business than your own, you will earn a customer for life.

Renewals. Earning renewal business is essential. Attrition of 35 percent or more puts a ton of pressure on finding new business, year in and year out. The saying goes that it?s much easier to fill a bucket when it?s not leaking from the bottom. Focusing on renewals is all about plugging the leak in the bucket. A significant number you should look to improve on, and win, is the percent of renewal business. What if you were able to retain 80 percent? Think of the difference that would make. That?s a sales number you control, and one you should focus on. Selling without numbers or ratings is all about changing the focus for what?s important. The areas mentioned in this article are the numbers to concentrate on.

Matt Sunshine is EVP of the Center for Sales Strategy.
E-mail: mattsunshine@csscenter.com

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K-Mart By The Numbers

12-28-2012

Here's just a sample of what the radio industry is up against when it comes to what advertisers spend. Thanks to Media Monitors we are able to see what K-Mart spent over the past year on both radio and television. The huge difference highlights what radio has been discussing for many years...the need to tell a better story about radio and to do it in front of the people at the top.

On local cable, K-Mart ran 339,367 spots in the last 12 months and 77,459 in November. That November cable number is almost as many spots K-Mart spent on radio in all of 2012. On Broadcast TV the advertiser ran 247,620 spots in 2012, and 37,279 in Novembr. On Radio, Kmart ran 79,798 spots in the last 12 months with their biggest month being November 2012 when they ran 31,258 ads.

Check out more detail from Media Monitors HERE

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So What Were The Saga Numbers?

On Tuesday, Saga Communications reported 3rd quarter revenue of $32.4 million. That's an increase of 1.2 percent and includes both radio and TV. On the radio side, revenue was basically flat. Saga CEO Ed Christian said, "Q3 was very trying. We were rolling along until we hit September." Net income for the quarter increased 17.2 percent to $4.3 million. Free cash flow increased 2.2 percent to $6.1 million. Operating expenses decreased 2.4 percent to $22.4 million.

Saga also reported lower than expected political advertising revenue. Saga will take in a total of about $5 million in political this year, compared to $6.5 million in 2008. Christian said national advertising for Q3 was down 19 percent. "It's not as sizeable for us as it is in major markets, but it's still a lot of money."

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Trying To Make Sense of the Online Listening Numbers

9-5-2012
(by Ed Ryan)

Yesterday, Triton Digital released its monthly online listening ranker for July. The three month trend shows a decline in online listening which Triton Chief Operating Officer Mike Agovino attributes to a change in summer listening habits. Vacations, he says, have an impact on in-office listening. That explanation goes against the claim that most people in the digital space make, that online listening is rapidly shifting to mobile. If people are in their cars driving to see grandma, they can connect to the dash. If they are heading to the beach, they can lay out fully exposed to skin cancer, with buds in ears, listening to Pandora via G3 or G4. No?

So let's talk about the numbers using Pandora - which consistently leads the Triton rankers - as an example. A huge challenge, moving forward, will be determining what metric should be used to determine how many actual listeners an online audio company has and how to sell that metric. Should a person who listens for 6 minutes be counted? How can you determine when a computer is on for 5 hours, if anyone is listening or just tuned in and walked away? What do the advertisers and advertising agencies want to see from digital sellers?

Using the 6AM-8PM, Monday through Friday domestic ranker, Pandora topped the Triton monthly rankers for May, June and July. Triton determines Pandora is number one by the metric "Active Average Sessions." In May, Pandora had 1.425 million Active Average sessions. In June, Pandora had 1.421 and in July 1.413. A minor downward trend, but still a downward trend. The Triton domestic ranker is based on log-based information provided by the reporting entity (it's not MRC accredited). Now lets compare with numbers Pandora presents.
Pandora says it now has a little over 6% of all audio listening. And the company claims it's disrupting the radio industry and cutting into radio's multi-billion dollar revenue pie. There's no denying the revenue growth at Pandora. There's also no denying that as listening increases so does the cost they have to pay out for the content it delivers. The challenge is figuring out the real listening numbers (for every online audio company). Pandora releases numbers in a different metric than Triton. And, they release more than one metric.

Pandora says total listening hours for July 2012 were 1.12 billion and active listeners were 54.9 million. In June, listener hours were 1.08 billion and active listeners were 54.5 million. And, in May listener hours were 1.10 billion and active listeners were 53.3 million. Pandora reports metrics that show an increase nearly every month, a small increase, but an increase nonetheless. Remember, Triton shows a summer decrease. So, what are the real numbers? What determines a real online listener? Most importantly, how can advertisers understand they are getting real listeners who are tuned in when their commercial airs?

Triton defines Average Active Sessions as: "Total Listening Hours divided by hours in the reported time period. TLH is defined as the total number of hours that the station/publisher has streamed during sessions with a duration of at least one minute in total within the reported time period."

Pandora describes active users as: "the number of distinct registered users that have requested audio from our servers within the trailing 30 days to the end of the final calendar month of the period. The number of active users may overstate the number of unique individuals who actively use our service within a month as one individual may register for, and use, multiple accounts."

If summer listening trends point down according to the Triton metric, why do they point up according to Pandora metrics? Pandora did not respond to our request to clarify the numbers before we went to print with this story. Maybe it wouldn't be such a big deal if Pandora's stated goal wasn't to cut into radio's tiny 7% of the advertising pie.

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August Auto Sales Numbers Expected to be Strong

9-3-2012

Automakers will report August sales numbers today, delayed a few days due to the Labor Day Holiday weekend. Analysts predicting sales of about 1.2 million vehicles for August. If those numbers come in, that would result in a 20 percent increase over August 2011. Honda and Toyota should report strong numbers. It's been a year since an earthquake in Japan resulted in lower inventory for the two companies. Both companies now have a full supply of vehicles and are working off lower comps.

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Questioning The Pandora Numbers

8-1-2012

From time to time we get criticized by readers for taking data and publishing it without drilling down or asking for more information. It's a fair criticism because all numbers can be massaged, stronger dayparts highlighted, or demos pushed out. After all, who's going to send out a press release that screams, "We came in 19th this month, please write about us."

One of the biggest struggles everyone is dealing with, when it comes to audio listening, is accurate measurement. How do you think the folks at ESPN feel? They are innovators when it comes to pushing listeners to their website and mobile or apps they've created. They will never get credit for those listeners when an ad buyer is looking at PPM data, yet everyone knows the numbers are huge.

Triton's monthly rankers have been consistently used to measure online listening. We do wonder though how many ad buyers and local advertisers understand how to incorporate "Average Active Sessions" and "Session Starts" into cash. Perhaps there are some, but its doubtful there are many. What radio -- or audio distribution -- needs is at least one reliable measurement service where over-the-air listeners can be combined with Web listeners and the combination used to increase rates. Those numbers for radio could be huge. Why shouldn't Clear Channel get credit for a Z100 listener in Texas who's consuming the audio on iHeartRadio? That listener is just as valuable to Home Depot or Progressive Insurance or Budweiser no matter where he or she lives.

Back to the criticism about publishing unchallenged data or research. Everyone noticed the Pandora numbers experienced a drop in June. As a result of that drop we received the following statement and questions about our coverage of the Pandora numbers from Vice President of Digital Digital Marketing & Research at Katz360 Maggie Hauck and EVP/Radio Analysis and Insights Katz Radio Group Mary Beth Garber.

?It?s interesting that Pandora?s press release said its June ratings were great and showed growth. But the data posted in the Triton Top 20 syndicated ratings actually show a slight decrease in Pandora?s usage in June. 

"So we come back to the question that Pandora has always declined to answer with any tangible data:  How do they calculate their share of 'total radio listening including satellite radio' if:
- There are no published reports that calculate the monthly total hours spent listening to satellite radio (let alone just commercial satellite radio).
- They cite Arbitron as a source but refuse to produce the number they used from its data (probably because they aren?t licensed to be selling with the information).
- Pandora tends to base its online share claims on just the Top 20 Stream Report by Triton. There are many more streamers that report to Triton but aren?t reflected in the Top 20 report. Which numbers do they use in their formula ? Top 20 or all Triton reporting streamers? And there is no way to calculate time spent listening to Spotify, lastFM, Rdio and other music streaming services that do not report to Triton, so they can?t calculate all of online radio listening ? no one can.
- Could they please provide a link to the Census data table that supports their claims and indicate what data they are using from it in their formula?
- Why won?t they simply show the components of the formula and cite the sources?

"Somehow, 'data from Arbitron, Triton and the Census' don?t really answer any questions. Especially when those of us with access to all three sources can?t replicate any of their claims. Are you really going to accept that vague answer from Pandora and be willing to continue publishing their claims without further documentation? Or will you ask them about these discrepancies before publishing their next set of claims?"

(8/2/2012 7:24:46 AM)
Anyone who believes Pandora is a "replacement" for terrestrial radio is not looking at the whole digital radio picture.

One sentence from the above should make everyone think: "And there is no way to calculate time spent listening to Spotify, lastFM, Rdio and other music streaming services that do not report to Triton, so they can’t calculate all of online radio listening – no one can." This is the true scope of what terrestrial radio faces; the unaccounted, accumulated digital audio listening that's not being reported.

If we reverse the logic used against Pandora it's simple to ask "how can terrestrial radio be confident that it is not losing more listeners to online than is reported." As stated, there's no way to quantify the universe of internet radio/audio listening. And Broadcast is, after all, only using extrapolated numbers to "guess" at its audience size.

Pandora is not radio's problem. Like Clear Channel, it's only the biggest competitor facing terrestrial. There are many more online audio companies knocking on advertisers' doors today, and there will be far more in the coming years. Just wait until the digital dashboard goes mainstream.

(8/2/2012 7:12:54 AM)
Pandora schmandora. No local news, no personalities, no fm presets. Phones are for talking not for listening. Next subject please.
(8/2/2012 5:26:35 AM)
Finally! Thank you so much for finally making sense about Pandora. Sure they have listeners, but they are NOT the replacement for terrestrial radio, and they should not reap the rewards that come from such questionable ratings.

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Your Comments on the Recent Pandora Numbers

7-12-2012

We had quite a few questions from readers this week after posting the numbers Pandora sent out regarding overall radio listening in the United States. Not to mention we are always skeptical when research and "numbers" are just thrown out in a press release. So we asked the folks at Pandora how they came to the conclusion that they now own the ears of nearly 6% of total U.S. radio listeners.

Here is what they told us about how they came to that conclusion. "We arrive at the calculation using data from Triton Digital, Arbitron and the U.S. Census. The estimated total hours includes satellite radio." The answer wasn't as specific as we would have liked, not did it detail any formula used to come to the 6% conclusion. The 5.98% number from the Pandora press release amounts to an increase from 3.37% Pandora said it had one year earlier.

(7/13/2012 4:16:13 AM)
Re "they now own the ears.." Good luck on THAT.

Ask anyone in radio. NO one "owns" any listener ear.

We work hard to earn it every day, and the attitude that because in their own survey they went from a 3 to a 6 has nothing to do with whether they are getting that same 6 today or tomorrow, even if the stats are reliable, based on standard replicable survey methodology.

(7/12/2012 2:31:27 PM)
"The 5.98% number from the Pandora press release amounts to an increase from 3.37% Pandora said it had one year earlier." Who cares! I don't know about PPM. I know about Arbitron's methodology, PPDV, and the disclaimer at the back of the book. I've studied it, been certified on it, lectured about it and taught it at a well-respected university.
One set of "numbers" is as good as another. Arbitron calls them estimates.
The broadcasters call them facts.
Pandora is doing the same thing.

(7/12/2012 1:17:28 PM)
Pandora is a big bubble that will eventually burst. But I'm sure there will be another Tim Westergren wannabe right behind them to give the radio-haters-in-radio another reason to bite the hand that feeds them.
(7/12/2012 11:44:02 AM)
If Pandora wants anyone to believe its 'numbers', let it release the information it is paying royalties on.

Pandora has those numbers available, because they gave had to report them and guarantee their accuracy, let them release those, then lets see how it compares to radio.

(7/12/2012 11:26:49 AM)
When I tried my hand at sales years ago, my sales manager said "If you take a client to lunch and they ask you to see numbers, grab a napkin and write some down. It's just as meaningful." More recently, an old sales guy told me "When you get the books, it's easy to make your station look number one somewhere. You just have to know how to work the numbers." I trust Pandora numbers just about the same amount...

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Edison Criticizes Dickey, Defends Pandora Numbers

Although he did not want to be part of an interview with Radio Ink, Edison Research Vice President, Strategy and Marketing Tom webster did post a blog yesterday defending Edison's Pandora numbers and criticizing press coverage of the story and Cumulus COO John Dickey. Webster called coverage of the issue in one of the radio trades "grossly inaccurate." All of this followed an Arbitron letter to stations warning them to be careful about what they see and use in terms of online ratings. From the comments after our story yesterday, many of you believe Arbitron is just trying to ease its way into the online ratings game and get more money from stations.

Read the comments from Radio Ink's coverage of the Arbitron controversy HERE

Here is more from Webster's blog about the issue:
"Amongst the article?s many sins was this line: ?The Edison reports converted Pandora server-side log file listening data into local audience reports using AQH metrics that ranked Pandora alongside local radio stations in Arbitron market reports. [Cumulus COO John] Dickey says he?d like to see Arbitron to ask Pandora to reveal details of how it is calculating its audience estimates.?

"No attempt was made to contact Edison about the ?facts? in this article, which are of course patently untrue. Let us be clear: Edison has never reported anything other than the AQH figures for Pandora ? full stop. We defy any interested party to come up with a ?ranker? from Edison that compares Pandora ?alongside? any terrestrial radio station. Not only have we never produced such a report, we have never allowed a third party to produce such a report. A report comparing Pandora?s AQH measures with those of Arbitron subscribers would, amongst other things, violate Arbitron copyrights. We do not have the legal right, nor the desire, to produce such comparisons."

"Also, Mr. Dickey need not pressure Arbitron to ask Pandora how these audience measures are calculated. Should he, or any other radio executive, care to find out, they need merely ask Pandora themselves, and they?ll be happy to provide the complete methodology for these figures, which are not, as Mr. Dickey intimates, ?estimates;? rather, they are the actual listening data from the population of Pandora listeners."

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Facebook Numbers, What's It To Ya?

Mike Stiles

Radio managers love numbers these days.  Oh who are we kidding?  If numbers had legs, radio managers would take them out dancing, buy them the most expensive wine, put them in the front row of a Tony Bennett show and propose by the end of the night.  I?m talking pure love and co-dependence here. 

So it?s probably time for an update on Facebook?s numbers, just to take the current temperature of how it?s doing as a medium and how the public is or isn?t embracing it as part of their everyday lives.  Here?s what we know from a Mashable infographic that aggregates statistics from a wide variety of sources, as well as thoughts on how they might apply to radio.

Facebook has over 800 million active users. Part of the magic of Facebook is it?s a global product, immanently scalable, but to the user, it?s an intimately ?local? experience.  Radio should be pursuing listener customization and relevance wherever possible.

Over 50% of active users log on every day. It is addictive.  Users feel that if they don?t check in, they?re going to miss something.  Do your listeners feel like they?ll miss something if they don?t listen for a few days?

Over 2 billion posts are liked or commented on per day, with 250 million photos uploaded per day. It encourages users to talk back, to participate, and they?re more than willing to share their lives.  Do your listeners feel like your station wants a 2-way relationship with them?

The average US user spends 7 hours, 46 minutes a month on Facebook. Talk about TSL.  Clearly, they?re being given multiple reasons to stay, so they do. Facebook links about sex are shared 90% more than average. You can program what you think listeners should want to hear all you want.  But they?re going to like what they like, no matter what you or your research thinks they should.

Over the course of its existence, Facebook has raised $2.34 billion in funding. I want you to put yourself in the position of walking into a venture capital firm in 2011 and selling them on broadcast radio?s business proposition.  I?m not saying that to be an ass.  If you can envision what your pitch would be, it?s a valuable thing to convey to potential advertisers.

There are very few, if any, radio owners/managers left still denying Facebook is a big deal, or who are trying to maintain that it?s a fad that will pass.  But as brands who use Facebook as a marketing tool, the smart play is to at least stay aware of the reach and impact that marketing tool affords us.

Mike Stiles is a writer/producer with the social marketing tech platform, Vitrue, and head of Sketchworks comedy theatre. Check out his monologue blog, The Stiles Files.
Find him on Facebook www.facebook.com/mike.stiles
or on Twitter @mikestiles

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More Positive Radio Numbers From Arbitron

Arbitron has released cumulative audience estimates for the 56 RADAR-rated networks. Compared to the Arbitron estimates from one year ago, network radio increased its weekly reach among Persons aged 12 and older by nearly half a million listeners.  Network radio reaches almost three out of four Persons age 12 and older each week, according to Arbitron. The September 2011 RADAR 110 report saw an increase in key demographics reached by network radio versus the September 2010 RADAR 106 report period.

Arbitron posts RADAR Radio Network Cume Rankings for Persons aged 18-49 and Persons aged 25-54 HERE. The sample size for the RADAR 110 Report is 395,598 persons aged 12 and older. This large sample is designed to provide more stability for key demographic estimates, dayparts and Market-by-Market Analysis reports, which report all individual DMAs.

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Salem Numbers in Line With Everyone Else...Flat

Ed Atsingers group reported in last night with $45.1 million for the quarter, nearly identical to the amount from the same quarter of 2010. For Q3, Salem is projecting total revenue to increase 4% to 6% over 2010 total revenue of $51.4 million. That increase is more than most groups are willing to project with how shaky the economy is today. Most radio CEO's are nor comfortable making any predictions with how cancelations have been coming in over the past few quarters.

Salem provides programming targeted at audiences interested in Christian and family-themed radio content, as measured by the number of stations and audience coverage. Upon completion of all announced transactions, the company will own and/or operate a national portfolio of 95 radio stations in 37 markets, including 59 stations in 22 of the top 25 markets. 

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