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Writer's pictureInside Audio Marketing

What Nielsen’s Three-Minute Listening Qualifier Means For Radio.

Nielsen’s move to a three-minute qualifier for listening sessions in the 48 PPM markets will capture more listening occasions and more audience impressions. A significant methodological change in how ratings are calculated, it’s expected to create a one-time increase in radio listening levels for all stations across all PPM markets.


The new threshold — which begins with the January 2025 survey — was reported by Inside Radio on Tuesday in a Breaking News Alert.


Based on initial impact data provided by Nielsen, the conversion will lift total market average quarter hour listening by 24%. The distribution is equitable by ethnicity: Black 6+ listening gets a 23% boost, +25% for Hispanic.


Shorter But Meaningful Durations


To be counted in a radio stationʼs Nielsen audience estimate, listening sessions historically must total to at least 5 minutes within the quarter-hour. But electronic measurement shows people come to the radio equally every minute. And a substantial portion of listening takes place in shorter but meaningful durations.


Nearly half (45%) of radio occasions are shorter than 5 minutes and can be un-credited today. A move to the 3-minute threshold is expected to lift listening estimates across the board in PPM markets.


As always, your mileage may vary. Younger-skewing formats – and markets – get a bigger bang. Persons 18-34 go up 28%, while both 18-49 and 25-54 increase 27%, based on May 2024 data recalculated with the new 3-minute threshold.


“Formats and markets with a higher concentration of younger audiences had generally larger percentage gains than older skewing ones,” a Nielsen spokesperson tells Inside Radio. “It’s the younger demos that are driving the higher increases.”


The double-digit AQH gains coming to PPM markets are mostly a result of increases in daily time spent (+16%) and weekly time spent listening (+20%) because of the move to a 3-minute qualifier.


Nielsen says that includes both new occasions from existing listeners, as well as new occasions to a station that would never have been counted because they didn’t meet that 5-minute threshold.


Radio’s daily cume rating goes up less dramatically (+7%) with the new calculus. That will have the effect of putting more panelists in a station’s market reports and this could help stabilize the ratings, although Nielsen has not yet quantified that over time.


The initiative moved from concept to announced implementation in five months — lightning speed for Nielsen. It has the cooperation of the Media Rating Council, the Nielsen Audio Alliance, the Nielsen Audio Advisory Council, and other industry groups. The MRC, working with Ernst and Young, plans to audit the new methodology prior to implementation.

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