Nielsen Media Research is officially retiring paper diaries as a tool to collect ratings data for radio stations, instead planning to fully introduce a mobile diary system in the second half of 2025. The company ceased use of the paper diaries for television ratings in 2017, instead creating a system where data can be returned from set-top boxes.
In today’s era of streaming and digital content creation, that option is not feasible in radio. Even so, there is no bonafide way to collect data with radio shows because of the variety of ways through which people consume their favorite programming.
“In our small markets or diary environments, the paper diary is being challenged as a data collection instrument in today’s environment,” said Bruce Hoynoski, Measurement Science Business Leader in Global Audience Measurement for Nielsen. “I think it’s going to be a game changer for our smaller markets in terms of accurately capturing and measuring audiences.”
Nielsen Media Research’s radio ratings have come under increased scrutiny over the last decade due to their inherent inability to depict listeners from all platforms. In fact, some local and national media outlets do not subscribe to the ratings, instead utilizing different forms of measurement to determine success. Through experimentation and testing, Nielsen expects the mobile diary to have a positive effect on various key performance indicators.
Before the paper diary was phased out in television ratings, it was actively being used in 140 of 210 local markets. The new mobile diary would give the company the ability to accumulate listening data on mobile devices, laptops, tablets and other devices.
