As we head into the final leg of the Presidential campaign and the first debate tomorrow night, the topic of how a music station should be dealing with this contentious historical event is front and center.
Morning shows have to talk about the election, the debates, the mud, the advertising, the polls, and the gossip. But given our polarized country, handling this big news event is a challenge to ensure your station isn’t shedding diaries or dealing with migrating meters. In short, this can be toxic stuff during the all-important fall season.
Now Arbitron has come up with some information that sheds light on the issue and should prove to be helpful. As we learned in Techsurvey8, format-by-format data has value. And Ron Rodrigues and his team have pulled together Arbitron/Scarborough information that breaks down party affiliation and voting propensity by 21 different format classifications.
Before your eyes wander down to the chart below, it might be fun and entertaining to grab a piece of paper and jot down your predictions about how party standing plays out for your format and others in your cluster. And then check out the data below to see what’s really going on in the political arena:
There are some surprises in this chart, to be sure. And as I’m sure Ron and his cohorts at Arbitron will tell you, your political mileage and party affiliation numbers will vary. Geography has more than a little something to do with it. But this nifty look at politics and radio should be a good discussion starter with your morning monster, sales manager, or other interested parties who may need a little data to put things in perspective.
Good luck as we approach “the most important election of our lives.” (Isn’t that what they say about every Presidential election?)
Party on.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
- Radio + Thanksgiving = Gratitude - November 27, 2024
- Is It Quittin’ Time For SiriusXM? - November 26, 2024
- Radio, It Oughta Be A Crime - November 25, 2024
You just invented the best drinking game for a radio convention EVER.
You know, I never thought about it that way, Mikel. But I think you’re right. Thanks for connecting the dots that I never would have.
Always informative and I was right, except for Christian Contemp. My answers were backwards.
Good instincts, Jamie. Thanks for reading our blog.