Arbitron releases RADAR 99; Dial-Global takes the cake

Arbitron reported in its December 2008 RADAR radio network audience ratings (RADAR 99) more than 184 million persons 12+ heard one or more network radio commercials each week, up from 183 million just three months ago. Dial Global’s Adult Power and Contemporary Network took the #1 and #2 spots this time around in P12+. In Mon-Sun 5A-Midnight, DG scored an amazing top 5 rankers in Women 25-54 (see chart).

Note: In this survey period, Arbitron changed the daypart in its press release from 6A-Midnight to 5A-Midnight. "That basically allows networks to include 5am clearances in their total week daypart audiences," says Martha Luszcz, ABC Radio Networks VP/Research. "It affects certain networks differently. Since we generally consider the 5am feeds part of our overnight audience, our rankers [sent to clients, agencies and the trades] are going to reflect the traditional 6A-Midnight audience, except for the networks that need to indicate that wider broadcast window. Those will reflect 5A-Midnight audience."

The ABCRN analysis doesn't affect the Top 10 rankers.

Gross Impressions in RADAR 99 were up 3.2% in Adults 25-54. Only Dial-Global and United Stations saw GI increases (see chart).

Other items of note:

* PPM data makes up 7.8% of total RADAR sample. New PPM data in RADAR 99 (joining Philadelphia and Houston) are New York, Nassau-Suffolk, Middlesex-Somerset-Union, Los Angeles, Riverside-San Bernardino, Chicago, San Francisco, San Jose. 

* DG News & Information is now DG Music & Entertainment.

* Westwood dropped the CBS name from its three news networks and re-branded three networks as simply "Westwood One News."

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