Agencies Support Rejection Of Electronic Measurement
RAJAR’s rejection of electronic measurement may have provoked condemnation from Wireless Group chairman, Kelvin MacKenzie, but the move has received the support of advertising agencies keen to maintain the currency used to trade millions of pounds worth of radio audiences.
The decision follows fifteen months of extensive testing of two audio meters, the Arbitron Portable People Meter and Radiocontrol wristwatch, which RAJAR claims are not capable of delivering an audience measurement system up to its “gold standard”.
Some in the industry believe the current diary system, which has underpinned the sale of radio airtime for decades, is far from perfect. However, the majority of advertisers view the prospect of any unnecessary disruption to the trading currency, which serves an industry worth around £600 million a year, with caution.
Cathy Lowe, head of radio at media planning and buying agency, PHD, joins the Institute of Practitioners In Advertising in fully supporting RAJAR’s decision. She said: “There is a great deal of pressure from certain sources to move RAJAR into electronic measurement, but it will happen when the time is right.”
She added: “We all understand the concerns and frustrations with the diary system, false memory syndrome and so on, but as RAJAR’s extensive trials show, there is also a degree of inaccuracy with the various forms of electronic measurement.”
Tim McCabe, associate director of radio at the new Vizeum media network, also emphasised the need for caution when considering the introduction of new methodologies. He said: “If the audio meters are not ready, then RAJAR’s decision is absolutely right. It’s a big operation to overhaul the trading system and there’s no point running before you can walk.”
RAJAR’s tests cast doubts over the perceived accuracy of electronic measurement and revealed the limited ability of the Radiocontrol audio-meter to distinguish between DTV and DAB broadcasts, or AM and FM broadcasts if the programme is simulcast.
McCabe claims the ability to differentiate between broadcast platforms will be key as the industry moves forward. He emphasised that “evolution” on this scale is about superseding the current system, saying: “As radio matures, understanding what platforms signals are coming from is vital.”
However, RAJAR’s decision was far from expected and MediaVest’s head of radio, Mark Helm, said: “I think the announcement has come as a surprise to many, bearing in mind the noise made by certain people in the industry. However, RAJAR has obviously got very solid reasons for not introducing electronic measurement as a gold standard and the people behind the decision have not taken it lightly.”
Steve Parker, radio and outdoor co-ordinator at Starcom Motive, agreed: “We are only going to get one chance to get the change to electronic measurement right.” He said: “RAJAR is entrusted with delivering this change and as long as everyone is confident with the research they have carried out, then we must support their decision.”
However, the news was not welcomed so warmly by everyone in the industry and Bill Ridley, project executive at the Wireless Group, which recently published the results of the first ever electronic measurement survey of television and radio audiences, claims to be “astonished”.
Ridley, who has been involved in the National Broadcast Media Survey since its conception, said: “We have been lobbying for a move to electronic measurement for three years or more now. We are aware of opposition from the industry but are astonished that RAJAR seems to think it’s all right to turn its back on the future without giving any reasons for its decision.”
Nick North, director of GfK Media, the company behind the new survey, was also critical of the decision, saying: “The future of audience measurement will be electronic and we find it hard to believe that the UK will not embrace this opportunity in the nearest future.”
GfK is scheduled to meet with RAJAR later this week to present a full response to the decision. North is confident he will be able to win the company round, saying: “We are sure that we can convince RAJAR to proceed with the introduction of electronic measurement in the UK.”
RAJAR insists that its decision does not mean that electronic measurement will never play a part in the survey and the company’s managing director, Jane O’Hara, claims: “Meters will continue to be top of RAJAR’s agenda and we are to continue working with both audio-meter developers to see if the devices could be developed further.”
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