Xtra Insights has been appointed a further two years as the official provider of regional radio audience surveys.

The contract extension is effective immediately, with ratings surveys planned for several major regional centres in 2018, including Hobart, Wollongong, Gosford, Townsville and Bendigo.

 
CRA’s Joan Warner said:
 
“We look forward to working with Xtra Insights and regional broadcasters over the next two years as we continue to build and evolve the valuable service Xtra provides to these markets.
 
“Radio stations that have participated in the surveys have benefited from increased revenue opportunities and improved awareness among advertisers.”
 
Paul Amos, Managing Director of Xtra Insights, said 2017 was a strong year for regional radio with results from the Regional Radio Audience Measurement Surveys (RRAMS) validating radio’s importance in the community.
 
“Of the 26 regional markets surveyed in 2017, eight participated under the current methodology for the very first time.  More than 21,000 people were surveyed in total, and 60 commercial radio stations participated.
 
“Xtra Insights is strongly committed to the continuous development of the RRAMS process and will be prioritising industry awareness and education surrounding the regional methodology in 2018,” he said.
 
Xtra Insights has been the official provider of radio surveys since January 2016 for all regional markets except Gold Coast, Canberra and Newcastle, which are surveyed separately. Under the agreement, commercial radio stations can commission Xtra to undertake surveys in conjunction with public broadcasters in their licence area. 
 
The surveys provide advertisers and agencies with valuable information so they can better target their marketing campaigns and use their advertising dollars more effectively. 
 
Media agencies can access the data on regional radio markets online through the Frequency Regional Radio ratings analyser tool.