The radio business came to mind last week while watching the CBS 60 Minutes segment on Banana Ball last week. Depending on where you live and the media you consume, it’s completely possible you’re unaware of Banana Ball, yet the games sell out major league baseball stadiums and NFL football stadiums when the league tours…

The spring book is underway. Even if you’re among the lucky ones who were able to get a music test completed earlier this year and have your marketing plans underway, you may still have concerns about your morning show or other key talent taking the coaching notes you’ve been giving them steadily. Research can help.…

Last week we wrote about lower-cost options for contesting. Keeping in tune with Nielsen’s practices would draw stations in diary markets to fulfill contest prizes online – or, even better, in-app. As noted, some listeners may resist coming to a station location for a lower-value prize – but the instant gratification available with online fulfillment…

Years of NuVoodoo Ratings Prospects Studies have shown the tremendous pull of $1000 and even $500 contest prizes. Well-orchestrated group contests give the appearance of constant $1000 giveaways across a swath of stations for a relatively modest expenditure. If your crosstown rival seems to be giving away $1000 an hour all week long, it may…

With apologies to Paul McCartney and the late John Lennon, in case you now have one of their songs now running through your head, all the listening you need for credit in a PPM quarter hour is now three minutes, instead of five. As we noted last week, the first month’s PPM data with the…

With the new three-minute listening thresholds in place, January 2025 PPM ratings were up 14% (against an expected 20% increase) compared to the January 2024 numbers according to Jon Miller, Nielsen VP Audience Insights. Miller explains the shortfall, citing there’s ongoing annual erosion to all linear media, radio included, of around 8%-9%. The Jon Miller…

We’re getting out first glimpses of the impact of Nielsen’s three-minute qualifier in PPM markets. Remembering that the real purpose of the ratings is to sell advertising, we can hope that the larger AQH numbers, the lift in adults 25-54, and the growth in afternoons and weekends will bring good news for sellers. There will…

Last week we wrote about presenting a research study at Country Radio Seminar 2025. We highlighted on-going listener interest in remote broadcasts and showed the large numbers who say they never see any local Country stations broadcasting live around their towns. Those data are based on a 1,500-person study of Country music fans ages 18-54…

We were in Nashville last week for Country Radio Seminar 2025 – and what a great event it is every year. RJ Curtis and his team put on a wonderful conference. Carolyn Gilbert and I were there to present a massive 1,500-person study of Country music fans that included nearly 1,200 Country radio listeners and…

NuVoodoo will be in Nashville later this week for the Country Radio Seminar. While there we’ll present a massive 1,500-person study of Country music fans – including nearly 1,200 Country radio listeners. Respondents have a lot to say about where Country music is heading, how they’re connecting to the music, which sources they’re turning to…