New ‘groundbreaking’ radio ratings system, Radio360, to include streaming data

Radio networks will be provided with much more detailed information about their listeners’ habits through the rollout of the new Radio360 measurement system.

Commercial Radio Australia chief executive officer Ford Ennals.

The imminent release of the radio industry’s new ratings system will include streaming data that allows stations to have a much more comprehensive view of their listeners’ habits.

Commercial Radio Australia chief executive Ford Ennals said the Radio360 hybrid measurement system – which has taken about five years to develop – was “groundbreaking” and would integrate new measurements including digital activity coming straight from the radio stations, such as streaming listening via smartphones, smartspeakers and computers.

“We felt it was important to provide information from multiple data sources because we have a lot of people listening online and streaming and we now have the ability to measure that,” he said. “We’ve also set up a panel of passive measurement watches which are actually listening to the audio content consumers are receiving.”

Initially the Radio360 data will only be provided internally to city radio networks to allow for review and any staff training needed before it is published in ratings surveys mid year.

The system, created by ratings firm GfK, will track 50,000 respondents annually – at present, 80 per cent of people fill out their daily listening habits in electronic diaries while 20 per cent still use the old-fashioned paper diary method. It will also obtain listening data monitored via 2000 Gfk MediaWatches worn by 400 consumers in the five major metropolitan cities – Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

GfK media measurement director Deb Hishon said Radio360 would give a “much more robust and granular understanding of the streaming audiences”.

“We’re integrating that into the currency so they will be able to get a good understanding of age and gender and what their streaming audiences look like versus their broadcast audiences,” she said.

“We’re capturing every possible type of audience measurement and it’s something no one else is doing to the same level.”