Lok Sabha Question No. 2234 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-05-06
Subject: Radio Audience Measurement
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE, SHIVAJI ADHALRAO PATIL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.2234 (TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.05.2016)

## RADIO AUDIENCE MEASUREMENT

## 2234.       DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE: SHRI ADHALRAO PATIL SHIVAJIRAO:

## Will  the  Minister  of  INFORMATION  AND  BROADCASTING  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) whether consultation paper on issues related to Radio Audience Measurement and rating in India has been released by the TRAI in the recent past;
- (b)    if so, the details thereof along with the salient features thereof;
- (c)    the details of existing system for rating of radio audience in the country; and
- (d)    the  extent  by  which  the  proposed  mechanism  is  likely  to  improve  the standard of programmes/channels?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING {COL RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE (Retd.)}

(a) & (b) TRAI has recently released a consultation paper on 'Issues related to Radio Audience Measurement and Ratings in India' on 15 th  March, 2016 for inviting  comments/counter  comments  of  stakeholders.  The  consultation  paper covers models for regulating radio rating system, guidelines for industry led body and guidelines for accreditation of rating agency.

(c ) & (d) The  details  of  existing  system  for  ratings  of  radio  audience  are given  in  Chapter  III  of  the  consultation  paper (Annexure-I). The  consultation paper  seeks  comments  of  stakeholders  on  various  options  for  radio  audience measurement.  The  main  objectives  of  the  consultation  paper  are  to  ensure growth of radio broadcasting sector, transparency in radio audience measurement & ratings and greater diversity and better quality content.

Prasar Bharati has informed that All India Radio (AIR) has its own system of Audience Research Unit (ARU) for rating of   radio audience for its various  channels  that  includes  the  functions  of  analysing  the  socio-economic characteristics,  general  listening/viewing  behaviour  of  target  audience  and  to identify  their  needs,  tastes  and  aspirations,  to  assess  the  extent  of  listening  of various  programmes  and  impact  of  these  programmes  on  the  target  audience and  to  provide  both  quantitative  and  qualitative  feedback  to  the  programme planners and policy makers. The research methodologies followed by the ARU are  Listeners'  letter  analysis,  field  surveys,  telephone  surveys,  panel  studies, Focus Group Discussions with the panel of experts from time to time to check the quality  of  the  programmes. Findings  of  audience  research  are  always  used  to improve the content creation for AIR broadcast .

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## ANNEXURE  AS  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (c)  &  (d)  OF  LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2234 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.05.2016

## Chapter III

## Radio Audience Measurement in India: Current Scenario

- 3.1 All India Radio undertook the first Radio Audience Measurement (RAM) in the country in 1946 through its 'Listeners Research Wing'. Subsequently,  Listeners  Research  Wing  was  renamed  as  'Audience Research  Unit'  with  38  branches  across  the  country.  However,  AIR usually  conducts listenership survey for its own radio channels and for its own consumption.
- 3.2 Radio  rating  services  on  a  commercial  basis  was  provided  by  TAM Media Research for the first  time  in  2007  through  its  own  independent division, which is a joint service of IMRB international and Nielsen Media Research. At present TAM conducts audience measurement in the cities of Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata only.
- 3.3 As  a  first  step  towards  audience  measurement,  TAM  conducts  an establishment  survey  in  all  the  four  cities.  Through  this  survey,  3000 individuals  each  aged  more  than  12  years  and  owning  an  FM  device is  selected  from  a  household.  Such  individuals  are  selected  in  each  of the  four  cities  using  random  sampling  and  conduct  of  face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Out of the 3000 individuals  selected, 480 are further selected through systematic random sampling using  the Kisch  grid  in  each  city  and  this  forms  the  panel  for the purpose  of radio  audience  measurement.  TAM  uses  the  diary method  to measure  listenership  and  provides  listenership  data  on  a weekly basis.
- 3.4 TAM also conducted listenership surveys in 9 additional cities comprising of Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kanpur,  Lucknow, Nagpur and Pune during May-August 2011 and Feb-March 2012.  These surveys were, however, not continued.