Nielsen has signed a third station owner for data from its “sticker diary” radio ratings service. Joining Cumulus Media and Clear Channel Radio as a subscriber is Gary Rozynek’s Maverick Media, whose four-market group is in only one market where the Nielsen service is operating. Another ad agency is also onboard.
All 20 of Maverick’s stations are in Arbitron-rated markets, but Rockford, IL is the only one of those markets included in the 52 surveyed in the first year of the new Nielsen ratings service. Maverick’s stations there are WNTA-AM, WRTB-FM, WGFB-FM & WXRX-FM. The company’s other markets are Santa Rosa, CA; Eau Claire, WI and Lima, OH.
“We applaud Nielsen’s entry into Radio which is now giving us another choice in a ratings service. We know that Nielsen will be a very good partner, uniquely offering much larger sample sizes, the best research methodology, a complete ad sales solution, state of the art software and world-class support and training” said Rozynek.
Nielsen also announced that TargetCast tcm, an independent media agency based in New York City, will receive service in the 51 Nielsen radio markets. It is the third agency to sign after Schnucks Creative Services in St. Louis, MO and Meridian-Chiles in Lexington, KY. One radio network, ESPN Radio, has also signed for the service.
“TargetCast tcm is always searching for research insights and metrics that can enhance the effectiveness of our clients’ media investments. Nielsen’s new service will provide radio ratings based on a large sample measuring all segments of the population. This gives Nielsen the potential to become a single source for measurement of both television and radio behavior,” said Michele Buslik, SVP, Director Media Research for TargetCast tcm, in a statement distributed by Nielsen.
RBR/TVBR observation: Every little bit helps. What’s really important is what happens after the first Nielsen radio results for 51 markets are released in two months. Will other groups look at the product and say, “Hey, I want that too,” or will Arbitron continue to dominate the diary landscape?
