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Measuring radio audiences; includes electronic measurement systems and device descriptions, RAJAR (UK) debate, with comments.
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Tin Foil Hats at UK Radio Festival

With the World Cup wrapping up and summer holidays set to begin the UK’s Radio Festival finally gives us the media news we’ve been waiting for : CONSPIRACY THEORIES.

Media Guardian’s Julia Day reported the big story : a BBC man says there’s a conspiracy. This was welcome news here at ftm world headquarters in Switzerland, home of the world’s greatest conspiracy theories. Nothing beats getting out the tin foil hats.

Actually, according to Ms Day’s diligent reporting, it was BBC Radio London’s David Robey who talked up a conspiracy behind RAJAR’s secret tests of electronic measurement devices.  

ftm background

RAJAR Shows RAJAR Works
Upgrade and improve were the key words used by RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research) Managing Director Sally de la Bedoyere when announcing the long awaited new contract for UK radio measurement.

"What Gets Measured Gets Done"
What and how we measure media is likely to change what media does.

Contestant Voted Off “Survivor-The RAJAR Edition”
And then there were two. GfK withdraws from UK electronic measurement competition after testing failure.

UK Judge Dumps Lawsuit Over Radio Surveys
Going to court is a great publicity stunt, until you lose.

New Measurement Devices Raise New Questions. Will We Ever Know Who’s Listening?
Ratings services in an ever-increasing number of countries are testing electronic measurement, potentially replacing the diaries listeners dutifully fill out or telephone calls that interrupt their dinner.

"There could be a conspiracy theory,” disclosed Mr. Robey and reported by Ms Day, showing “the big brands could have lost audience and smaller brands gained audience.” After telling the Radio Festival that RAJAR’s methods are “fundamentally flawed,” he went on to exclaim: “it's not in the interests of big businesses to get worse results."

There it is: the making of a great conspiracy theory.

“It's a grave misassumption that the current system is fundamentally flawed,” retorted RAJAR Managing Director Sally de la Bedoyere. “What is leading you to discredit the system is probably the volatility of data - and that is always there because of the sampling, not the system.”

Did you notice that Ms de la Bedoyere did not address the conspiracy? Have you noticed that Ms de la Bedoyere bears a strong likeness to outted CIA agent Valerie Plame? Do you remember that Jane O’Hara, Ms de la Bedoyere’s predecessor at RAJAR, left in a boat for the Caribbean? Inquiring minds want to know!

ftm media conspiracy central knows the reason those RAJAR tests were secret. The device suppliers asked for and received confidentiality agreements. Nobody wants “defects” revealed. WAIT: that may have been in a press release. That “secret” delay: try to focus on RAJAR’s mission. Results – like big broadcasters down and little broadcasters up – are irreverent to RAJAR’s process.  The object is securing for all broadcasters a system of measurement that withstands statistical scrutiny.

BBC and the big UK commercial broadcasters certainly keep big secrets. These are only rarely revealed to ftm media conspiracy central. And, of course, we’re sworn to secrecy. We can reveal that “nobody in their right mind” will buy Radio 1 and Radio 2 for £500 million….except, maybe, a Russian football team owner.

If you are still convinced: check out Wikipedia and Mean World Syndrome.

Have a favorite media conspiracy theory? Report it here.


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