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I didn't get my diary yet—what do I do now?

What are the radio ratings?
The radio ratings estimate how many people listen to radio stations in a given city.

Radio stations across the country use this information to learn more about what you want to hear on the radio. Arbitron Ratings is the way radio stations get at this information easily.

What's in it for me?
You make your voice heard.

You will probably never get a chance like this again. Let the stations know what you listen to, and tell them what you think about radio in your area. You supply the information the broadcasters will use to program their stations. See our What's in it for you? section for a more detailed explanation of how your participation affects you and your community.

What if I don't listen to the radio?
That's fine!

For any day that you don't hear a radio, just mark the box at the bottom of the page for that day. As a nonlistener, your comments and opinions about why you don't listen to the radio are still very important. In fact, radio stations are very curious to know why some people don't listen to radio as much as others.

Why was my home chosen to do the radio ratings?
Your home was randomly selected to represent the households in your area.

For more on this topic see What's in it for you? .

Will you ever put me on a mailing list or sell my name, address or telephone number to anyone else?
No! We use the information collected for research purposes only. Occasionally, we may offer a gift where you will need to provide your name, address or telephone number, but accepting the gift is up to you.

Please look over our policy on this matter, It's just between us! .

Will this cost me anything?
Absolutely not!

We don't want any money from you, but we do want your radio diary. In fact, we send you a small token of our appreciation to say thank you for saying "yes" to our survey.

How did you get my telephone number? It's unlisted!
So that participation in the radio ratings is fair, we do our best to include households with both listed and unlisted telephone numbers.

Rest assured, your telephone company did not give us your unlisted phone number. Our computer selects the area code for a given community and then lists every phone number possible. From this list we randomly select the phone numbers to be in the ratings. Some are listed, some are unlisted.

Why do radio stations care what I listen to?
Simple! Because they want to please you and keep you as a listener!

When you turn on your radio, the stations don't know what you're listening to. So, you tell us—and we tell them. That way your stations can continue to program the things you want to hear.

Can the other people in my household keep a diary as well?
Yes.

We need to know what everyone in your home–12 or older–listens to each day for one week. We mail a diary for each person age 12 or older.

What happens to my radio diary after I mail it back?
We combine your radio listening with that from all the other diarykeepers in your area who were selected to participate in the ratings.

Then we publish the results in a report for the radio stations in your area. Often, with our permission, the entertainment section of your local newspaper will have some of the results.

Why don't I just tell you over the phone what I listen to?
The radio stations want to know about your daily listening—and the listening of the others in your home—during a one-week period.

Writing it down is a more reliable way for the stations to get this information, and it only takes a few minutes a day. Also, radio stations really look forward to seeing your comments and opinions—without knowing who you are, of course—in your own handwriting.

Can anyone participate in the radio ratings?
We wish! But unfortunately, no.

We randomly select a percentage of households to represent the people in your area. Your household was selected to participate in the ratings period coming up. Good research practices dictate that we select those homes whose chance arrives for each specific survey. Therefore, what you are about to tell the radio stations is pretty powerful.

Can I participate if I work for the broadcast media?
Sorry, no.

In order to keep the survey unbiased and honest, we cannot let anyone who works in the radio or TV industries take part in the ratings.

Can we do the radio ratings again?
Chances are your home will not be selected again for many years.

It's nothing personal; it's just good, random selection. In fact, you may never have another chance to be heard in this way.

Do I have to write down my listening every time I change stations?
No, only stations that you listen to for at least five minutes!

What about when I listen to radio on the Internet, over cable or via satellite radio or satellite TV? How do I record that?
You would record that listening just like you would for any other type of radio. The instructions on the inside cover of your diary provide an example of how to record your listening.

I didn't get my diary yet—what do I do now?
If your diary hasn't arrived in time for the start of the survey on Thursday, please click here for instructions on how to keep track of your listening.

Write down the time you listened. Include the call letters, dial setting, station name or channel number, program name, or even the name of the on-air personality. Tell us whether you listened on AM, FM, the Internet or satellite, and include the place you heard the station (at home, in a car, at work or some other place).

Chris Johnson
Arbitron Ratings
9705 Patuxent Woods Drive
Columbia, MD 21046-1521
1-800-638-7091

 

 

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