So here's conventional thinking: PPM measures "real listening" while diaries record (and reward) recall and not "real listening." Not quite, I would argue. Actually, PPM measures exposure, not listening.  And diaries record the degree to which audiences are interested in the stations they consume.  That's because greater interest yields greater recall which yields more diary mentions. It seems to me we have gotten so lost in the "language of accuracy" in measurement that we h

Imagine you're around a campfire on a dark and cold night. Is it time to tell a scary tale?  You bet it is. And if it's a tale of ratings horror, what could be scarier? And if you prefer your horror in audio form, click here. Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. Is it too early for Arbitron to go "Boo!"? Nope, it's never too early for

We are so motivated to achieve ratings, we are completely ignorant of the need to grow fans. Is radio in the business of growing fans – or even of growing revenue? No. Radio is, sadly, in the business of growing “ratings.” Have you ever met a “rating”? Me neither. But I sure have met a lot of fans – or folks who could be fans. What about them? This video makes my point. To be clear, this is not a condemnation of the people who create ratings. Those people at Arbitron are