Podcasting survey

There is no doubt that radio has changed significantly since it’s birth and a new sign of it’s constantly changing face has arrived. Podcasting.

Austereo want surveys to count those who tune in through the internet or download material on mobile phones and from podcasts.

Austereo estimates radio listening is about 20 per cent higher than now recorded. They believe that the question about new media listening simply needs to be asked when filling out a Nielsen Media Research radio diary.

Research conducted by Austereo in May and June showed people were listening to radio on the internet for two hours and 42 minutes a week; on mobiles for one hour and 41 minutes; and via podcasts for 54 minutes. That’s in addition to the 20 hours and 46 minutes spent listening to traditional radio.

Austereo National research manager John Musgrove told the Australian:

”Even if only three hours were added on to the current 20 hours of listening to radio that is captured in Nielsen’s diaries, it would suggest that radio stations brands could in fact be getting more listening today than in the peak years of 2000.”

Austereo says that they have experienced an increase in podcasting, which has reached about 730,000 downloads per month, up from about 500,000 12 months ago and 50,000 the year before. The most popular is the podcast from Hamish and Andy.

New technologies are expected to be counted in the new metropolitan audience measurement contract, which begins in 2009.

Commerical Radio Australia’s Joan Warner says the industry has started discussions with Nielsen about measuring internet, mobile phone and podcast listening by 2008.

This move will be most certainly welcomed by all players in all radio sectors with the vast majority of radio operators investing heavily in new media initiativies.

US market research firm eMarketer forecasts almost 20 million consumers will download podcasts at least weekly within three years, generating $400 million in podcast advertising by 2011.