[BC] The Comm-noncomm disconnect

[Xmitters at aol.com]

In a message dated 2/1/09 5:02:38 AM Central Standard Time, 
broadcast-request at radiolists.net writes:

>  Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
>  
>  ------ At 09:05 PM 1/30/2009, Broadcast List USER wrote: -------
>  
>  >SO, WHY WOULD ARBITRON RATE (NOT THAT THEY DON'T) NON-COMMERCIAL
>  >STATIONS?
>  >
>  >Arbitron ratings are used by the stations, the agencies, and the
>  >advertisers to set ad rates.  What horse do the non-coms have in THAT
>  >race?

I can only speak for my own station, of course. We use the Arbs to measure 
the success of the different programs we have in our various dayparts. If we 
have a consistently weak daypart we figure out how to shore it up; we also 
communicate with other noncomms of our market size, and compare notes. 

We can also sell on-air mentions and underwriting credits. We're limited to 
what we can say, as everyone here knows, but in some cases, my noncomm can be a
 
way for a small company to at least get their name on the air. We also have 
major contributors, and we use that audience research to show them the 
demographic that's hearing their underwriting announcements. 

Arbitron data are very important to noncomms and commercial stations alike. 

Now a "college station" or "student station" is an entirely different matter. 
Those stations likely have an insignificant audience.

My station is a professional, NPR affiliate. We have a good rapport with our 
commercial brothers and sisters, and we help each other out when we can.

Jeff Glass, BSEE CSRE
Chief Engineer
WNIU WNIJ
Northern Illinois University