Abril/2015

HOW SÃO PAULO’S

YOUNGSTERS LISTEN

TO RADIO?

Daniel Gambaro

Universidade Anhembi Morumbi

Universidade de São Paulo – Escola de Comunicação e Artes

• EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION IN TWO FASES• 1> study of 5 main radio stations targeting teenagers and young adult

• 2> enquiry with a small sample of listeners to know their opinion

• OBJECTIVES• To show if programming is changing and how it is doing so• To question the effectiveness of some adopted strategies

ALL DATA WERE ACQUIRED BETWEEN FEBRUARY AND APRIL/2015

WHAT IS THIS PAPER

• RADIO PENETRATION: ALL AUDIENCES

• 2004 – 90% of Brazilian Population listen to radio regularly

• 2013 – 71%

• COMPOSITION OF AUDIENCE: 15-29 YEARS OLD TARGET• 2004 – 36% of the audience are youngsters

• 2013 – 31%

MIGRATION FROM RADIO TO OTHER MEDIA SEEMS GREATER AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE’S TARGETS

TO START, SOME DATA

• SÃO PAULO RADIO MARKET• 66 radio stations (AM + FM)

• 5 MAIN STATIONS TARGETING YOUNGSTERS• A Rádio Rock (89,1 MHz)• Rádio Disney (91,3 MHz)• Metropolitana FM (98,5 MHz)• Jovem Pan FM (100,9 MHz)• Mix (106,3 MHz)

THE SUMMED AUDIENCE OF 5 STATIONS CORRESPONDS TO 13% OF ALL RADIO AUDIENCE.

CORPUS OF ANALYSIS

• THE ROCK’N’ROLL RADIO

• Established in 1985

• Rock and Pop/rock – main musical segment until 2006

• CHR from 2006 to 2012

• 2013 to today: CHR centred in pop/rock• New programming, with more participation of presenter and listeners

ALTHOUGH AIMING AT AN YOUNGER AUDIENCE, THE STATION ALSO ACHIEVES THE OLD LISTENERS, SPECIALLY FROM THE 1990’S

89 FM

• LARGE PREDOMINATION OF MUSIC

• Rotation Playlists• International mainstream• Lack of creativity

• Disney: the most-eclectic selection• Jovem Pan, Mix and Metropolitana: Top 40• 89: rock-driven contemporary hits

EXCEPT FROM DISNEY, THE OTHER STATIONS KEEP A MUSIC INDUSTRY-TESTED-SINGLE AS THE MAIN PROGRAMMING STRATEGIE

MUSIC IS (ALMOST) EVERYTHING

• THE OLD NOVELTY: THE RADIO PRESENTER

• Participation on air similar to the 1970’s DJ• Doesn’t have control on the playlist anymore • Uses voice as an important bounding element

• Prizes and commentaries

• Doesn’t have the historical background and artist knowledge

DIGITAL MEANS TO DISTRIBUTE MUSIC BROUGHT BACK THE VOICE OF THE DJ AS A RICH ELEMENT TO STATIONS TO CONNECT TO AUDIENCE

THE DJS ARE BACK

• SPECIAL PROGRAMS DURING THE DAY

• More homogeneous mixing of music and talk• Introducing “new” habits of listening to radio• There’s a long way to go through, though

• Humour-driven programming• Hosted by several humoristic personalities

• Morning shows• Music, news and entertainment

THE AUDIENCE-PEAK HOURS COUNTS NOW WITH SHOWS MADE OF HUMOUR AND INFORMATION, INTERCHANGEABLY

HUMOUR AND TALK SHOWS

• PHONE-IN PROGRAMS• Common to other segments’ stations

• Chat with presenters• Prizes distribution

• Focus on “brand storytelling”• What the station gives is better than what the station is.

THERE IS AN INCREASING TIME OF LISTENERS TAKING PART IN THE PROGRAMMING, NOT ONLY TO CONQUER GIFTS, BUT ALSO TO CHAT WITH THE PRESENTER

THE LISTENER IS ALIVE (AGAIN)

• METHODOLOGY

• Interview through electronic form• 174 respondents between 15 and 30 years old• February and March/2015 • Qualitative (not statistical) perception

• GENERAL DATA

• 70% listen to radio at least one time a week• Circa 40% listen to radio everyday or almost everyday

• Homogeneous distribution through 9am to 5pm

GENERAL DATA ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE ACQUIRED BY RESEARCH INSTITUTES

THE LISTENERS’ OPINION

• MIGRATION BETWEEN STATIONS

• Listeners of 89FM migrate mainly to Jovem Pan• Listeners of Jovem Pan migrate mainly to Mix• Listeners of other stations migrate among them

• DATA INTERPRETATION

• Easiness to change stations due to lack of personality and bound• Branding and the presenters make the listener loyal to 89

RESPONDENTS THAT LISTEN TO 89 FM ARE LESS KEEN TO CHANGING STATION

THE LISTENERS’ OPINION

• WHERE TO LISTEN TO RADIO

• 71% mainly as secondary activity during itineraries• Cars and Mobile Phones

• 31.5% have the habit of listening to radio through internet

THIS SUGGESTS RADIO PRESENTERS SHOULD CARRY ON PROGRAMMES THAT INTERACT WITH THE LISTENER’S EVERYDAY LIFE

THE LISTENERS’ OPINION

• WEB

• 55% do not use to access the station’s website• Listen do radio online• Listen to other music• Participate in contests

• LACK OF COMPETITION• 73% do not seek for webradios• 48% sign a music streaming service

THE LISTENERS NOT REALLY USING THE WEB INTERFACES SUGGESTS BOTH ABSENCE OF HABIT AND POOR AVAILABILITY OF CONTENTS

THE LISTENERS’ OPINION

• WEB

• Only 17% like the stations websites and fanpages• 59% consider essential the existence of a varied-content website• 63% demand contact tools through web

THE FACT THE LISTENERS’ DO NOT REALLY USE DE WEB INTERFACE SUGGESTS BOTH ABSENCE OF HABIT AND POOR AVAILABILITY OF CONTENTS

THE LISTENERS’ OPINION

• MUSIC…

• Listeners know music though radio (36%) and internet (39%)

• 48% believe the stations play more music they like that they don’t• 47% believe the quantity of new songs is adequate• 80% complain of an excessive repetition of songs

• 51% believe the station should mix different segments of one music style

• 36% believe the station should mix different music styles

RESPONDENTS SHOWED AN INCIPIENT DISLIKE TO HOW THE STATIONS OFFER WHAT TODAY IS THEIR MAIN PRODUCT

THE LISTENERS’ OPINION

• …AND VOICE

• Respondents are divided concerning the role of the presenter• Half think the presenter talks too much• Half like the way it is

• 43% prefer a presenter that talk just a little, but about valuable information

• 23% believe s/he must print his/her personal mark

• 64% want to get in touch with the presenter through the web

RADIO PRESENTER MUST RECOVER A TYPE OF AUDIENCE LOST LONG AGO BECAUSE OF SOME ADMINISTRATOR’S BLINDNESS

THE LISTENERS’ OPINION

• MUSIC• Radio research should go beyond the hits• Brand goes through the differentiation of programming

• PRESENTER• Economic rule of essentiality and functionality

• WEB• Exclusive content• Reutilization of analogue programmes

THE CHANGES APPLIED BY STATIONS TODAY ARE JUST IN THE START OF THE WAY ACADEMIC RESEARCHES ARE SHOWING FOR A WHILE

CONCLUSIONS

THANK YOU!

DANIEL GAMBAROdgambaro@usp.br

https://usp-br.academia.edu/DanielGambaro