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 Radio Research: Proprietary Station Research

  Music and perceptual research at the radio station level

Ratings are not the only research radio stations use. The following sections contain explanations and references regarding "in house" research used to determine and refine programming or to determine a station's format options

The Graphics above link to several providers of research used by radio stations.
The major kinds of station research
Auditorium Music Tests
When a station wants to determine and verify what the right... and wrong... songs are, a music test is conducted.
New technologies include web-based testing. Often, a person may be recruited and then given the option of attending a test or completing it online.
Perceptual Research
Most perceptual research involves interviewing individuals alone or in small groups. This may be done via focus groups of 8 to 12 people, one on one interviews or phone questionnaires. Large perceptual projects may be done online or by phone with several hundred persons.
Callout Research
Callout is a techique used to test small batches of songs, usually very current ones, via the phone. Originally done from call centers like the one pictured, such testing is done online after a respndent is recruited.