When I first got into radio, every station in every city had huge rating numbers because the rating companies only measured cume.
To find out who was listening to what, they used the phone book to call and ask the folks.
Then, one day, when a client asked the radio salesperson, “How many people heard my commercial,” Radio, instead of saying, maybe all of them, said instead, “I don’t know, but I’ll find out,” and that’s when average 1/4 hour and demographics raised their ugly heads.
However, when it was later claimed that those who answered the phone were Alpha types representing less than a quarter of the population, they switched to diaries.
Unfortunately, the diary method turned out to be biased towards radio stations with nice images, so they switched to People Meters.
The reasoning for doing this was because when the folks were wearing the People Meter, they couldn’t lie about what radio stations they were listening to.
Sadly, the people meter under-hears morning radio and over-hears everything else.
The way the device works is it has to be turned on and be moving to register anything, and none of that occurs for about an hour after the person monitored gets up.
So here’s where we are now. We started out by selling the fact that thousands of people were listening to every radio station.
Then we switched to hundreds when we brought in “average 1/4 hour,” and then, to make matters worse, we brought it down to single digits so the Agencies can figure out the cost per point.
Oh, and each time they changed the methodology, a different radio station became the new #1 in town.
Also, mornings used to be the biggest daypart of all, and as the saying went, “So goes the mornings, so goes your radio station,” until PPM under-measured it.
For the longest, I couldn’t figure out why our radio leaders weren’t yelling and screaming about this.
Then it hit me, now that mid-days were bigger than mornings because they were inflated by phantom cume, management got to fire all the expensive morning folks. Mid-day people are much cheaper.
Oh, and when you combine all of the above with the fact that the client now wants to know what the listener did after hearing their commercial and that it’s getting tougher and tougher to get anybody to participate in Media surveys; is it any wonder that Radio is no longer “Soup du Jour?”
GEO’S LIFE-LINERS
Hey, Mr. Radio, most comedians had to rewrite and practiced their jokes at least 100 times before they thought that they were stage-worthy. Thank god you’re funnier than them, huh?
Sadly, you don’t get better until you fail and fail again.
I don’t know many well-adjusted people who are funny.
If you’re talented, it’s a sin if you don’t give it a shot.
I wonder how many women actually waited for their man to come home from war without ever fooling around?
Seeing as black folks are very sensitive to the N-word, I would think that it’s used frequently in NFL games.
Speaking of the NFL, I guess the Seahawks knew what they were doing when they gave up Russell Wilson, huh?
The way you bring art to real life is by figuring out how to turn bad things into good.
I found it so weird that when the Queen died, the liberal press headlined, “Trump Not Invited To Funeral.” How did they miss the fact that neither was Obama, Clinton, or Carter?
It’s much better to be over the hill than under it.
I heard that less than 1% of all the folks who ever played Major League Baseball ever made the HOF.
Speaking of Hall of Famers, did you know that even though Nolan Ryan had seven no-hitters, struck out 5000 batters, and is in the HOF, he never won the Cy Young award? Hang your heads in shame, sports writers.
I know it’s hard to believe, but every NFL team pays its total players about the same amount of money. Unfortunately, they get different results, so whose fault, good or bad, is that?
Strange how it works, huh? The women you don’t want to sleep with are much more cooperative than those you do.
I remember when everybody would offer you a drink, but nobody would offer you a cigarette. Is that still true?
The big problem with America is it’s filled with bitter guilt. Get over it!
What separates man from monkeys is tools.
Perfection, even though unattainable, is still a worthy goal.
In a dictatorship, only the leaders are allowed to commit crimes. In a Democracy, anybody can.
The whole world understands a man being pussy whipped by a beautiful woman. What we don’t understand is Yoko, Camilla, or Wallis Simpson. Even though he’s pussy whipped, at least Harry got a “looker.”
Do women want equality enough to give up makeup, breast implants, and botox? If they did, the workplace would only care about their brain.
Speaking of beautiful women, I live with my daughter, who, unlike other beautiful women, has never told me to turn the TV down or turn off the violence. Oh, did I mention that my TV is in my bedroom?
Speaking of women, I think they have the power to overthrow governments because there is still a reluctance to harm them. However, once we’re all equal, that will change.
When you can have anything you want, the hard part is figuring out what the hell you want.
I believe in God, but not much of the rest of it, like women having to wear scarves. Good luck to those who think they should.
The thing I like the most about America is that anybody can call out the FBI and the CIA.
I wonder what College claims that their graduates changed the world the most?
I believe that Harry Truman was the last President to leave the White House unrich.
Has white America ever forgiven those who allowed OJ to go free?
I remember when Mr. Businessman was afraid of the government, but now none of us are.
Not all women are good mothers.
Laughter calms even the most intense situations.
If you look at history, America is much more sexist than racist. Hell, Britain has had a couple of Female kings (Queen) and also two Female Priministers, as have several other countries. What’s up with that?
I think one of the toughest things to do in life is to resist saying, “I told you so.”
There is no grey area with women; they either make you or break you.
Has there ever been, or will there ever be a politically correct war?
Of the 195 countries in the world, how many of them are better than America?
When you decide to do it your way, you don’t expect someone else to pay for it, do ya?
The quest for perfection is an endless struggle with no end in sight.
When you dream a dream with others, you can make it a reality.
Sometimes the extension of the brand can become bigger than the brand itself.
Does the new owner of a great radio station ever make it Greater? Bye-bye, KGO, you were the best.
I guess the Saudis don’t like Biden much, huh? They showed their dislike by raising the price of gas they sell to the U.S. just before the midterms.
Hey, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers win another one as they head to the Grey Cup for a three-peat. Go, Big Blue!
Geo: You’re right about the post, Doug, so I went back and tried to rhyme it as best I could.
Geo: Thank you, Buzz, miss ya, Buddy!
How about the 19th Amendment? When it passed Congress in 1919, there was not a single woman in either the House or Senate. And there were but a handful of women n state legislatures. (I’m Your Dad)
Geo: Why do I think, George, that in 1919, there were a few folks at home like Wives and Daughters telling these Legislatures just how they were gonna vote?
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Earl Mann:ANOTHER GOOD ONE, GEORGE. SO MANY INSIGHTS. SO CLEVER.
Geo: My goal was always to stay one day ahead of you guys, Earl. Tuff Sledin’
Jed Duval Having visited the Eisenhower farm just west and south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, I think Ike and Mamie saved their money, but I do not believe Ike became wealthy by being President. The home is modest, befitting Eisenhower’s place in the Army and Mamie’s custom of entertaining people and military folk from their days of rising through the ranks. I would recommend to anyone visiting in Kansas a stop at the Eisenhower Museum / Library and home in Abilene. I came away with a higher regard for Eisenhower, thinking that his contributions to the American story, like Truman’s, are underrated.
Geo: Both Ike and Harry had their reasons for wanting to be President, Jed, but unlike today, money sure wasn’t one of them.