The agency, which runs online panels as well as phone-based research, has conducted a study to find out how online is used in the radio industry compared to other methodologies. Company president Tom Kelly believes broadcasters have made the mistake of relying on databases of ‘loyal listeners’ to test songs and formats, producing results that are only representative of a selection of highly engaged fans.

Although most executives in the business now understand the shortcomings of research based on these databases, the onset of recession and collapse of ad revenues has caused many stations to make do, rather than invest in online panels with broader recruitment methods.

But the limitations of using listener databases for online sample has held back online research from achieving widespread adoption.

“Radio station databases offer a very cost-effective glimpse into a small portion of radio’s audience,” Kelly told Research. “In radio’s early trials, online test results have been inconsistent with results of traditional methods – telephone callouts, auditorium group tests and so on. The use of loyal listener databases for online sample has created a lack of confidence in the resulting data. However, we are tracing the problem to the sample, not the online research method.”

The firm is encouraging stations to cast a wider net to get sufficient sample, and hopes to see more firms invest in more new research technologies as the economy recovers.