Arbitron Releases RADAR Radio Network Ratings, But We Are No Longer Permitted to Report Them

Arbitron reports in its December 2012 RADAR (Radio's All Dimension Audience Research) Radio Network Ratings that over 181 million Persons 12 and older, or approximately 69 percent of this demographic, heard one or more network radio commercials in an average week of the survey period. Previously Arbitron had releaed a preview of the RADAR 115 December 2012 report. Now the Radio Network Ratings are released – but we can't publish them or give you any specifics. Arbitron no longer allows network rankings to be republished by the media in whole or part. What we are allowed to report is what the ratings company tells us in a news release. "The RADAR December 2012 survey period demonstrates network radio's power in reaching a mass audience in all demographics. Commercials aired on the 49 radio networks measured reached: 69.2 percent of Persons aged 12+ (181,118,000 Persons); 69.7 percent of Persons aged 18+ (164,779,000 Persons); 69.0 percent of Persons aged 35+ (113,267,000 Persons); 72.2 percent of Persons aged 18-49 (97,075,000 Persons); 72.8 percent of Persons aged 25-54 (92,004,000 Persons)." We are also permitted to report that "Arbitron RADAR (Radio's All Dimension Audience Research) December 2012 is the standard currency for national network radio ratings and measures 49 individual radio networks. These networks are operated by American Urban Radio Networks, Crystal Media Networks, Cumulus Media Networks, Dial Global Inc., Premiere Radio Networks, and United Stations Radio Networks." While we can't tell you which of those rated networks had the most success in the latest period reported, we also can tell you, as Arbitron tells us, "The sample size for the RADAR December 2012 Report is 395,823 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. The RADAR December 2012 Report includes data from all 48 Arbitron PPM markets. The survey dates for RADAR 115 were from September 15, 2011 to September 12, 2012."

Since we can no longer report any details of the Radio Network Ratings, we are currrently evaluating whether to even report anything about Arbitron RADAR reports in the future. It is our editorial opinion that Arbitron wants the publicity from media, while not allowing the same media to report what our readers actually want to know.