GfK plans contactless diaries in Melbourne as ratings return

The commercial radio industry is preparing for the restart of radio ratings next week, with contingency plans in place for areas affected by lockdowns.

The survey period for Survey 6 will start on July 26 and runs through to September 19, with results to be released on September 29.

As previously reported, commercial radio’s peak body has also made the decision not to undertake any further surveys for Newcastle, Canberra and Gold Coast/Tweed Heads until 2021.

Commercial Radio Australia chief executive officer, Joan Warner, said there would be changes to the placement of diaries in Melbourne due to the lockdown requirements.

“We have been closely monitoring the situation in regards to COVID-19, and there will be modifications to the placement of diaries in the Melbourne licence area to ensure the survey goes ahead as scheduled,” Warner said.

Research provider GfK has trialled and planned for contactless placement of diaries in Melbourne.

CRA also conformed the proportion of respondents completing an e-diary in Melbourne will be increased from 30% to 40%.

Warner said all metropolitan commercial radio stations have been running an on-air consumer campaign to raise awareness of the ratings ahead of the start of fieldwork.

“The ad informs listeners of the surveys process and reassures them that if they are contacted to participate, it will be done safely and within strict COVID-19 guidelines,” she said.

The official radio surveys were paused in April due to the pandemic, but a special GfK Radio Pulse e-diary survey was released in June to keep the market informed about listening trends.

The survey found that commercial radio audiences had increased strongly compared to Survey 2, with average weekly metro audiences up 7.1% to nearly 12 million people.