NC Radio: Dick Broadcasting Inks Eastlan For Ratings Data

Dick Broadcasting has become the latest broadcaster to not renew with Nielsen and move to Eastlan.

They are first to do so in a PPM market. Under the terms of a new multi-year agreement, Eastlan Ratings will field its initial audience measurement study in the Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem market in Summer 2015.

In the market, Dick operates: WKRR FM Rock 92 (licensed to Ashboro), and Top40 WKZL 107.5 FM (licensed to Winston-Salem).

WKRR 92.3 FM (100 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

To some it may appear a bold step but to Dick Harlow, Dick Broadcasting's Vice President and General Manager, the move to Eastlan is really common sense.

"I was surprised to learn that we are the first to make this switch in a PPM market. The meter was supposed to be the savior and all it's done is increase our annual payments to Nielsen. And now we find out to win in the PPM game you need a magic black box to job the system. At some point, enough is enough. We look forward to working with Eastlan Ratings to see who people in the Triad choose to listen to rather than who they are exposed to. Plus the sample size will be about triple the number of meters now in the market."

WKZL 107.5 FM (100 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

"It's funny how quickly things have changed in the past couple of years," said Eastlan President/CEO Mike Gould.

"After more than 16 years of providing radio ratings in markets coast-to coast, we're finding broadcasters and media buyers who don't know the Eastlan story are few and far between. Our methodological hybrid of telephone recall (landline and cellular) and e-surveys isn't sexy but it's fair and it's reliable. We are thankful that Dick and his colleagues trust Eastlan as their preferred ratings vendor. We are going to help save them a lot of money by getting their ratings investment back in line with the realities of today's radio revenue stream."