In Italy, official radio audience measurement has made a comeback with Audiradio. Ahead of the 2027 edition, consultant Claudio Astorri has published an analysis setting out six proposals to develop the methodology. He stresses one point: this is not a criticism of the survey but a set of ideas for a new phase. His goal is a system that is more accurate, easier to read and more accessible, in step with changes in the population and in the way people listen to radio.
A stronger sample and a day that starts earlier
The first issue raised is the quality of the sample. Increasing the number of interviews does not guarantee greater accuracy, Claudio Astorri notes, especially as some parts of the population are increasingly hard to reach by phone. He therefore calls for more transparency on how representative the panel is and for a comparison with the previous TER survey.
The second proposal is to start reconstructing the listening day at 5 a.m. The 5 to 6 a.m. slot already accounts for a significant share of listening, a sign that working hours and lifestyles have changed.
The third idea is to split the over-65s, currently treated as a single segment, into two groups: 65 to 74 and 75 and over. The overall total would be kept to preserve continuity with historical data.
Time spent listening, station names and data access
The fourth proposal concerns how rankings are read. Claudio Astorri urges a clear distinction between average-day audience and the metrics that capture actual listening time. In his view, AQH (average quarter-hour audience) and AQH share should take a more central role, so that the station with the largest reach is no longer automatically presented as the "most listened to".
The fifth targets station names. Some names can cause confusion during interviews because they match or closely resemble everyday expressions, music genres or types of programmes. Stricter criteria would reduce the risk of incorrect attributions.
The sixth deals with access to results. Published PDFs are handy for reading but poorly suited to further processing. The analyst suggests giving subscribing stations a structured electronic file, together with clear rules for using, analysing and publishing the data, including through artificial intelligence tools.
What it means for internet radio stations
These ideas from Italy reach well beyond the country's borders. For an internet radio publisher, they first serve as a reminder that a reach figure does not tell the whole story: time spent listening and loyalty are often more meaningful indicators, especially when talking to an advertiser. Streaming statistics make it possible to track these durations closely.
- Take care of your name: a name that is too generic gets confused with a style or an everyday phrase, making it harder to remember and to find, whether on a smart speaker or in a directory.
- Watch your time slots: the weight of the 5 to 6 a.m. slot shows that mornings start early and that careful programming from dawn can pay off.
- Make the most of your data: structured, exportable figures that can be analysed with modern tools are more useful than static reports.
- Know your older listeners: breaking the over-65s into several groups helps to understand an audience that is often loyal.
The debate around Audiradio reflects a broader trend: audience measurement has to keep up with listening habits that are now spread across broadcast, streaming and new listening devices.
Source : FM-world