Radio360 needs “time for review and staff training”

Commercial Radio & Audio’s new hybrid measurement system, Radio360, the latest technology announced last year for use in the GfK metropolitan radio surveys, will have its data delayed publicly until sometime in “the first half of 2023.” 

The technology was set to be totally introduced and utilised from Survey 1 on March 16.

Ford Ennals shared a statement last week saying, “preparations for the launch of the new hybrid Radio360 radio audience measurement system are well advanced” but need “time for review and staff training.”

“GfK will deliver Survey 1 in the new Radio360 format to the commercial radio industry on 16 March 2023. However, this data will only be released internally to radio networks to enable time for review and staff training. The Survey 1 results to be released publicly will be based on the existing diary methodology,” Ennals said.  

“We expect to confirm readiness for media agency briefings and the market launch of Radio360 in the first half of 2023. The new hybrid approach to radio ratings drawing on different data sources will allow us to better measure and validate the radio audience and break out the growing reach and influence of radio’s streaming audience. We look forward to sharing the results with you soon.”

The new system uses audience data collected from electronic diaries, live radio streaming data and the GfK Sensic tagging system to produce radio ratings.

The streaming data is then verified by data collected from respondents wearing GfK’s MediaWatch and integrated into the radio ratings dataset.

Radio360 is said to be the most significant investment and change to the radio audience measurement system in Australia since ratings began.

Speaking at last year’s Audio Unlimited event, GfK Media Measurement Director Deb Hishon said the project “has seen extensive data science applied and rigorous testing.”

“GfK’s Radio360 provides users, for the first time ever, the ability to analyse and plan against radio streaming and linear audiences; it also opens the door to new audience insights into listening for an event or specific period, such as the summer period which is not measured under the current system.”