If a radio station could reduce listener erosion, that station could sustain ratings without marketing, promotion or increased costs. Without tune out, listeners would become fans, and you would reach ratings nirvana. Why worry about cume when those existing listeners are staying with you?
But the problem is, tune out happens. Not every listener likes every song, no matter how much it’s researched. They have different moods and different needs at different times. Listeners are constantly tuning in and tuning out.
Listener turnover is so high, every time a radio personality turns on the mic, he or she starts over. That’s depressing, huh?
Think about the average listener choosing a station by listening with the radio on scan. When it’s on scan, you have just a few seconds to reduce tune-out.
They may not be literally listening on scan, but their brains are on scan. And t’s just as difficult to capture their attention as if it were.
The fact is that you have just seven seconds to get attention, whether they physically tune out by pushing the button or just stop hearing you.
And when they stop hearing you (mental tune out), they’re one step closer to physical tune out.
Don’t think it’s all that important? Think again. Research using dial testing technology has proven that radio shows lose up to 40% (and sometimes more) of the audience to tune out in a very short period of time, often in less than two minutes.
