GfK’s radio ratings survey is conducted in two waves per year incorporating offline and online respondents. About 80% of respondents keep a paper diary and 20% keep an e-diary, accessed through a mobile or tablet. Each wave consists of a six week survey period, in which a total of 6,000 individuals record their radio listening for approximately a week.

The company said the benefit of adding the e-diary approach is that it appeals to listeners who are living in gated communities – those who are younger and have higher income.

Selinna Chin, managing director for GfK in Malaysia, said: “We are pleased to have been chosen by Star Radio Group and asked to deliver the latest technology for measurement of radio listening.”

Professor Dr. Khong, deputy dean of postgraduate programmes for Taylor’s University in Malaysia, who was heavily involved in the programme and worked closely with GfK on the sampling aspect for the radio ratings survey, said: “We used probability proportional to size sampling to give us accurate representation and generalisation of the population in this country. Additionally, the data collection using door-to-door and e-diary approaches – which is the first of its kind in Malaysia – reduces ‘method biases’ commonly encountered during the data collection process.”

Separately, the GfK Group reported sales of €1,054.9 million in the first nine months of the year, down by 1.6% in organic terms.