....so I spent some time here arguing with a rock, er, an, um, "radio
consultant," who is convinced that by the flawed methodology used by
his clients and the ratings service that all radio listening is local,
and he uses those same flawed methodologies to show that his stations
are now number 1.

The phrase that is important here is "flawed methodology."

I was listing to American Public Media's "Marketplace" last Friday and
they had a piece on AmEx's new "clear" AmEx, that they tested in
Boston (and are advertising in Boston only, but is available anywhere)
using a "survey," with questions like:

o Would you like more clarity in your finances?

o What is a bigger source of stress in your life?
a) personal relationships b) money and finance

They found the survey laughable. So they went out and asked the exact
same survey questions with one mo "Would you want to get a credit
card that would help clear up your finances?" People, of course,
said, no, the last thing they need is another credit card.

AmEx, of course, said that was the wrong question to ask.


....and so it goes with radio. As long as the methodology is skewed to
deliver the wanted results, it is as meaningless as AmEx's absurd
"market research."

So they will go on, with IBOC and so-called "HD" radio with all its
artifacts and dropouts, to the detriment of people who actually
listen.


--
Eric F. Richards

"This book reads like a headache on paper."
http://www.cnn.com/2001/CAREER/readi...one/index.html