New NuVoodoo Study Reveals That 10 Months Into the COVID-19 Pandemic, Radio Hosts on FM Still Matter

But DJ’s Must Work Harder Appealing to Younger Audiences

 Register NOW for NuVoodoo’s Free Webinar, ”How to Get Your Ratings From Here to Vaccinated” at: https://nuvoodoo.com/webinar-signup/

CINCINNATI, OH, February 3, 2021 – NuVoodoo Media Services, a data-driven media marketing, programming and content intelligence provider, announces that its new Ratings Prospects Study XVII found that 10 months into the COVID-19 pandemic, radio hosts on FM still matter, but DJ’s must work harder appealing to younger audiences. With so many changes in audio listening through the COVID-19 pandemic, NuVoodoo took at fresh look at the relationship listeners have with DJ’s and hosts on FM music stations, and reveals all in the first NuVoodoo webinar for 2021, “How to Get Your Ratings From Here to Vaccinated”. The free webinar kicks off on Thursday, February 11^th, at 1:00pm Eastern, with four opportunities to access the live-streamed webinar. The webinar covers the latest findings from NuVoodoo’s fresh sample of nearly 3,500 14-54’s interviewed in early January, with insights for using the findings to help put radio stations on top of Nielsen ratings. Register now at:nuvoodoo.com/webinars.

Leigh Jacobs, EVP, Research, NuVoodoo Media Services, observed: “Overall, it’s more positive than negative. But there is a sharp generational shift. Gen Xers – raised on radio and now 40-plus – are largely positive, with a 43% plurality giving DJ’s a thumb’s up. Millennials, though somewhat less enthusiastic, are overall net positive, as well. Meanwhile, nearly three-fourths of Gen Z listeners give radio air talent no better than thumbs sideways.”

Webinar co-host Mike O’Connor, EVP, Marketing, NuVoodoo Media Services, said: “Our studies always highlight the differences between those who’d say “yes” to Nielsen and those who would never participate in the radio ratings. The former group shows greater proportional enthusiasm for what’s in between the records, and air talent is no exception. But, the data about DJ’s from listeners giving radio its report card was really surprising to us, and it looked quite a bit different than other findings from likely panelists and diary-keepers. We’ll show you the complete picture during our upcoming presentation.”

Carolyn Gilbert, President, NuVoodoo Media Services, added: “In a competitive landscape where consumers have lots of choices on where to turn for music entertainment, radio needs to make sure its human hosts are true positives for as broad an audience as possible. On-air talent have to be given the support and the flexibility to build connections with listeners and enhance the regard for their role on the station.”

The NuVoodoo Ratings Prospects Study is conducted twice a year to learn more about those who are most likely to say “yes” to the opportunity to wear a meter or fill out a diary in order to provide NuVoodoo clients with competitive insights and advantages that they can exploit to capture higher ratings. This is the 17^th Ratings Prospects Study that NuVoodoo has completed since 2011. The company shares the top-level findings of its studies with its radio broadcasting clients to develop winning next-generation marketing and programming strategies for stations of all formats in PPM markets.

NuVoodoo will dive deeper and show the differences in DJ perceptions across demos, ethnic groups and format preferences in “How to Get Your Ratings From Here to Vaccinated”, the first installment of its Winter 2021 Webinar Series starting on Thursday, February 11^th at 1:00pm EST (with three more opportunities to participate through Monday, February 22nd). The webinar will present 2021’s first snapshot of likely PPM panelists and diary-keepers. The 40-minute NuVoodoo webinar will cover the things radio professionals need to know to help put their radio stations on top of the Nielsen ratings, including the latest data on:

• Work-from-home and workplace listening trends
• Podcasts, smart speakers and streaming
• National and local contests
• Marketing messages that drive tune-in or boost TSL
• Social and digital channels that move the needle

Register for any one of the webinar sessions NOW at: nuvoodoo.com/webinars/.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, Contact Carolyn Gilbert, President, NuVoodoo Media Services, at: cg@nuvoodoo.com or at 888.9VooDoo (888.986.6366)

About NuVoodoo Media Services

NuVoodoo Media Services provides data-driven digital, social and direct marketing and programming and content intelligence to the radio, television, newspaper, music and retail industries through innovative new research and marketing products and services that give clients a winning edge. NuVoodoo also provides customized and proprietary web-based research designed to connect music lovers with the music they love most. NuVoodoo Founder and President, Carolyn Gilbert, has been the radio industry’s foremost research strategist for more than 30 years. NuVoodoo brings fresh thinking and lower costs to media research, including a budget-friendly barter for services model. A “virtual” company, attracting the best people from all over, NuVoodoo has offices in Cincinnati, Austin, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Columbus, OH, and Middletown, OH. More information may be found by visiting www.nuvoodoo.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: Lisa Dollinger, Dollinger Strategic Communication for NuVoodoo Media Services, 512.633.4084, lisa@dollcomm.com.