Ask What They Want - Give It - Tell Them You Gave It

Dr. Wimmer:  After nearly two decades in radio (and hearing my topic repeated over and over), I have suddenly realized I'm not sure HOW to ask our listeners what they want.  I can hear you saying, "Just ask them what they want," but typically I get an, "I don't know," or "Sounds OK to me," or "Like what?"

 

My favorite is, "I want my radio station to play what I want to hear."  Ugh!  What do you want to hear? "I dunno."  Or, "cool stuff."  What the heck is "cool" to you?  "I dunno."

 

My thought was to offer a list, but the list is growing into a book:  familiar songs, unfamiliar songs, more news, less news, weather, sports, song/artist/album trivia, concert info, album release info, artist interviews, comedy, less talk, more talk, drama/skits, blocks of the same kinds of songs, more international info, etc.  Where does it stop?

 

Or maybe a better question:  How do I narrow this list down to a manageable handful of items that might spur the listener to suggest what they REALLY want?

 

My fear is that we'll have to do years of research (which will of course be slowly going out of date) consisting of an order like: "More or less music?"  "More new or old music?"  "More old familiar music or more old unfamiliar music?"  "More old familiar music with trivia or without trivia?"  "More old familiar music with trivia with concert info or without concert info?"  "More old familiar music with trivia without concert info with . . . ?"

 

What average listener has the patience to go through something like this?  HELP! - Gene

 

Gene:  You always ask good questions, and this volume doesn't break your pattern.  My problem is trying to figure out a way to answer this in just a few paragraphs.  I'll do my best.

 

I have been conducting media research for more than 30 years, and one thing I learned very early was that most people think they can conduct research.  What's so difficult?  Just ask a few questions.  Yea, sure, and these are the people who almost always collect junk data.

 

The problems you describe and the frustrations you exhibit aren't new to me.  I have heard many people say similar things.  While many people think research is a simple process, the reality is that most people don't have a clue about research procedures, including some people who work for, or run, a research company.

 

Now, the problems you explain with figuring out what respondents really mean when they say things like, "I want to hear cool stuff," as well as developing a seemingly endless list of questions to ask, is, unfortunately, part of the research process.  Learning how to ask the correct questions takes time, and good researchers are people who, over time, have figured out how to ask the right questions.

 

There are no shortcuts to develop good questions.  The only way to find out the best way to ask questions is through experimentation—trial-and-error grunt work.  Finding the best way make take several weeks, months, or years, but it's the only way to do it.  You can test questions in a perceptual telephone study, or you can search for the correct approach in focus groups.  (Note: In situations where you have absolutely no clue about how to ask your questions, focus groups can provide the answer.  Listen very carefully to how the respondents answer your questions because they will usually give you clues on how to ask your questions in future research.)

 

So . . . there is no simple way to know how to ask questions.  There is an art to knowing how to ask the correct questions and the only way to know what to ask is to experiment with different approaches.

 

Now, there is no way that I can go through every possible questioning approach in my answer.  I would end up writing an entire chapter, and I have already done that.  What I'll do is provide a few examples for you to get you started.

 

As Joe Dominick and I say in our book, "Research in an attempt to discover something."  Radio (like all media) is a multivariate (many variable) entity—a seemingly countless number of variables interact to create a radio station, and, therefore, it is necessary to ask a variety of questions in a variety of ways.

 

You say you have a long list of things for listeners to answer.  So do I.  The key is to select the correct questions from the list, and the only way to do this is to experiment with the items on your list.  Good researchers constantly test the questions they ask.  Questions that elicit good responses are kept, and those that don't produce reliable and valid information are discarded.  And that's what you need to do with your list.

 

Here's a good example of discarding a useless question . . .  Years ago, I often included this question in radio research studies: "As compared to 6 months ago, are you listening more, less, or the same amount to WAAA?"  Respondents who say, "More" or "Less" are then asked to explain why they are listening more or less to the radio station.  This sounds like a good question, and I know that some researchers (or pretend researchers) still use the approach.  But it's a garbage question because the reasons for "More" or "Less" listening are often things like, "My schedule changed," or "My radio broke," or "My wife doesn't like the station," or something else equally as useless to make programming decisions.

 

Over time, I found that a better way to elicit useable information is to ask this:  "As compared to 6 months ago, do you enjoy listening to WAAA more, less, or the same?"  The follow-up questions for the "More" or "Less" responses are usually very helpful for PDs.

 

Over many years, I found that the best way to ask most questions is to use 1-10 rating scales.  Why?  Because respondents like them, find them easy to answer, and I get a quantifiable answer to virtually anything.  For example, you may want to know if you need to make changes on your radio station.  The problem is that you don't know what, if any, elements to change.  How do you find out?  Ask the listeners, and the best way to do this is with a 1-10 rating scale, such as: "When you listen to the radio overall, how important is it to you that a radio station has. . ."  You then insert elements that you think may be important.  The respondents will tell you if you are correct with the ratings they give.

 

Once again, developing the best list of items to test takes time.  I have been refining my lists for about 30 years, and I continually make changes to the lists.  Research is a never-ending process, so never think that your lists are complete or your questions are the best way to approach a topic.  You will always find new and better ways to ask questions.

 

OK, so after you ask respondents to rate the importance of several radio station elements, you then have them rate your radio station (or a competitor) on the same list.  You now know what is important to them and how well your radio station performs on these important elements.

 

Get the idea here?  In most situations, the best way to ask questions is to have respondents rate items on a 1-10 scale.  Such a scale is appropriate for everything you mention in paragraph 3 of your question, where you say that your questions are "growing into a book."  You can easily convert all of those questions into 1-10 rating scales.

 

Another good example where a 1-10 scale is useful relates to music.  PDs always wonder if the music they play is correct.  While there are many questions to ask, one relates to music tempo.  Is the overall music tempo correct?  The best way to find out is through a 1-10 rating scale, which is a 2-step process.  First, ask the respondents to rate their overall Ideal Music Tempo on a scale of 1 to 10, where "1" means All slow music, "10" means All fast music, and 2 through 9 are in-between.  What does this rating mean?  I don't know, but it doesn't make any difference, because the key to the question is the second part.  And the second part is to ask the respondents to rate your radio station (or several radio stations in the market) on the same scale.

 

You now have a quantifiable answer to a seemingly "impossible" question to ask.  You can now say that your radio station matches the listeners' Ideal Tempo, or you can say that your radio station is perceived as 20% slower or faster than the Ideal.  Once you know this, you can make some changes.

 

See how this works?  In most situations, have respondents rate things on a 1-10 scale, and then have them rate your radio station (or a competitor) on the same scale.  (Note:  This also works with rating on-air talent.  Have respondents rate what is important for an on-air personality and then have them rate your people on the same items.)

 

OK, so that's the rating scale approach.  There are also many research questions that don't involve scales, but can cause problems if you don't ask them in the correct way.  One good example relates to security questions at the beginning of the questionnaire.  These are questions designed to exclude people you don't want to participate in your project.

 

In most studies, you don't want people who work in the industry to participate in your research because their answers are biased.  You need to eliminate them at the beginning of the interview.  Years ago, most researchers, including me, asked something like, "Do you, or do any of your family or friends, work for a radio or TV station, newspaper, or market research company?"  It is a "yes" or "no" question, and industry people interested in the study would simply say, "No."  (These people want to find out what you are doing.)

 

I found that many industry people just lied and said "No," so I tried a different approach where the "correct" answer is a bit more confusing—it's more difficult to lie and get into the study.  I now ask this:  " Including yourself, how many members of your household or friends are employed by a radio or TV station, a company that owns a radio or TV station, a newspaper, advertising agency, record company, or research company?"  The respondent isn't sure what to say to lie, and they are more likely to give an honest response.  If the respondent says any number, he or she is terminated from the study.

 

Oh, one more thing.  In your question, you said that you have difficulty with questions like, "What do you want to hear?" and the respondent says, "Cool stuff." Or "I dunno."  In this type of situation, the only way to find out what the person means is to ask several follow-up questions.  Things like, "What are some examples of cool stuff?"  What are examples of things that aren't cool?"  If you ask the correct follow-up questions, you'll find out what the person means.

 

In summary, you asked how to ask listeners what they want so you can give it to them.  The ways to do it are: (1) Listen to what listeners say so you can use their language (most listeners don't use words like "playlist" or "rotation"); (2) Use 1-10 ratings scales; and, (3) Experiment with different approaches.

Asking Listeners

A follow-up to the question involving no research button. If you would, please comment on: how wrong could a smaller station really go by just using national charts and keeping an ear on my regional P1s and P2s? If I were a satellite subscriber I wouldn't have a choice. – Anonymous


Anon: I can’t answer your question. It’s hypothetical. The only way to answer your question is to conduct an experiment and the type of experiment necessary to answer your question is virtually impossible to conduct.


The experiment would involve two identical radio stations in the same market. Both radio stations would have to be exactly the same in every respect except that one would use national charts and an "ear" on the regional P1s and P2s; the other station would conduct its own music tests and research.


Because there is no way to prove that local information is better, the next best thing is to look around to see what radio stations are doing. Historically, the radio stations that collect local audience information tend to perform better in Arbitron.


By the way, that’s the major problem with satellite delivered music—it’s based on some form of national research (maybe) that may or may not relate to the audience in a specific market. It’s a crap shoot.


With that said, some radio stations simply can’t get local information and have to rely on other sources. That’s unfortunate, but that’s the way it goes. It’s difficult to try to give your listeners what they want when you don’t know.


In these cases, the only thing a PD (or anyone else at the radio station) can do is make decisions based on his/her gut feelings. Sometimes the decisions are right and sometimes they are wrong. However, in every case, I believe that most people always give their best effort. In the end, that’s all that counts.

Aspirin Overdose

Is it possible for a person to overdose on aspirin? - Anonymous

 

Anon:  I’m not a medical doctor, but I know the answer is “yes.”  For more information, click here: A bad way to go.

Assistant PD/Music Director

What is the typical role of an APD/MD. What are their common responsibilities, duties, and authority rank? - Anonymous

 

Anon:  I asked consultant Tom Watson to answer your question.  He knows a lot more about this area than I do.  He said:

 

I have always believed that a PD should have a “back-up” just in case he/she “gets hit by a bus” on the way to work.  It also gives the PD peace of mind knowing that everything is being taken care of when away from the station on vacation or business.  An Assistant PD/Music Director is the “right-hand person” to the PD—someone who can sit in the PD chair should anything happen to the PD; to allow the radio station to continue without missing a beat.

 

The “role” of the APD/MD is to schedule the music for each day, ensuring that there is proper music flow, proper separation of artists, titles, and “eras” of music; make sure that each music category rotates evenly, and that the “sound” of the station is consistent each day; and is a confidant and “partner” to the PD.  In addition, APD/MDs at radio stations that play current material usually meet with record label reps (the PD may or may not be involved).

 

Each morning the APD/MD should:

If you aspire to move up the ladder in programming and management, get to know and understand how every department within the radio station operates.  Understand the roles and duties of the traffic department, engineering, promotions, production, sales, and marketing.  Knowledge is POWER and the more you know, the more valuable you are to the radio station.

 

I’d like to thank Tom for his input.  By the way, you can contact Tom at 303.346.0292 or jtwatson@flash.net.

ATM

Doc:  Who invented the ATM, stand-alone money machine? - Anonymous


Anon:  Like most successful products and services, there are many claims about who was first.  To help sort things out, here is an article I think you’ll find interesting.

ATM Card

My ATM card has a four digit PIN (Personal Identification Number). Each of the four numbers can range from 0 to 9. If I lose my card, what are the odds that someone can guess my PIN? - Anonymous

 

Anon: There are 10,000 possibilities for your ATM PIN. You find that my multiplying 10 x 10 x 10 x 10. So, a person who finds your card has a 1 in 10,000 chance of selecting your PIN on the first try, then 1 in 9,999 on the second try, and so on.

AT&T Navigator

Doc:  I hope you can help me with my cell phone problem.  I have, or should say "used to have," the AT&T Navigator on my cell phone.  It worked great for several months, but when I tried logging on yesterday, a small screen pops up on my phone that says it can't find the attnav.exe file.  I have tried everything I know to find that file, but nothing I have tried works.  Do you have any idea what's wrong?  I really appreciate your help.  Thanks. - Anonymous

 

Anon: For those who don't know, the AT&T Navigator is a great option for a cell phone.  It allows a cell phone to operate just like any GPS device like Garmin, Tom-Tom, or Magellan.  Navigator makes it very easy to find just about anything, and it's very easy to use.  On to your question . . .

 

It sounds like your attnav.exe file is corrupted, but I don't know enough about cell phones to tell you how that may have happened.  However, there is an easy fix for the problem.  Log onto the Internet on your cell phone and go to this website—http://att.telenav.com/nav.  Follow the instructions to re-download Navigator on your phone and it should operate as it did before.

AT&T Text Messages

A friend told me I could send text messages from my computer to a person who has a cell phone with AT&T service.  Do you know anything about this? - Anonymous

 

Anon:  Yes you can.  Just click here: AT&T Messages.  I’m sure most of the cell services offer the same type of service.  Click here for Sprint Messages.  Be prepared for a long wait for the Sprint site to come up.  In fact, sometimes it doesn’t work at all.  Here is the one for: Verizon Messages.

 

When you get to the sites, just follow the directions.  Of course, the person you send the message to must have a text-compatible phone.

AT&T Tilt - Cell Phone Question

Doc:  I have searched the Internet for a few hours and can't find the answer to my question.  You are my last chance and I hope you can help me even though I know it's a long-shot.

 

I recently bought an AT&T Tilt (HTC 8925) cell phone.  (The phone is great.)  I also bought a leather case (belt type).  That's where I have encountered a problem and need help.  Every time I put the phone in the case, the case hits the buttons on the side of the phone and the phone makes clicking noises.  It's like the case is made the wrong way and it hits the buttons when I put it in the case.

 

Do you understand what I mean?  As I said, I know it's a long-shot, but do you know the answer to the problem? - Anonymous

 

Anon:  Yes, I understand your question.  I'm your last hope, eh?  The answer to your question, which I also couldn't find on the Internet, is:

 

The reason you hear clicking is that all of the buttons on the phone remain active until the phone is in a sleep mode (or you hit the "Key Lock" option).  There are two ways to put the phone to sleep (sounds soothing, eh?):

 

  1. Wait until the screen goes dark, which depends on how you set the "Backlight" option.  To change the amount of time until the screen goes dark, do this: Start>Settings>System>Backlight>Battery Power and change to the amount of time until the screen goes dark (sleep).

  2. An easier way is to press the On/Off button (top of the right side of the phone) once before you put the phone in your case.
     

That will solve your problem.

Atomic Clock

Do you know the telephone number for the atomic clock in Boulder, CO? - Anonymous

 

Anon:  Yes, the phone number is 303-499-7111.  When you call, keep in mind that the information provides Greenwich Meridian Time (GMT) so if you live in the United States, you’ll have to subtract hours from that time.  For example, if you call the number and hear, “At the tone, 17 hours 55 minutes Coordinated Universal Time,” it’s 5:55 p.m. in Greenwich, England, and 12:55 p.m. in the eastern time zone of the U.S.

 

For U.S. related time, the hours you need to subtract from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) are:

 

Atlantic: UTC – 4

Eastern: UTC – 5

Central: UTC – 6

Mountain: UTC – 7

Pacific: UTC – 8

Alaska: UTC – 9

Hawaii: UTC – 10

Pacific territories (Kwajalein timezone) – 12

 

If you don’t want to call Boulder, CO, you can find this information at www.time.gov/

Atomic Clock - 2

Hi, Dr. Wimmer:  I have an atomic clock and it doesn’t always receive the signal from Colorado, as I'm in eastern PA.  Any tips for improving reception?  You live near the atomic clock, so I figured I’d ask you. Oh, have you ever seen it?  Thanks. - Pete

 

Pete:  I’m not sure if you know it, but I have about 160 clocks in my house.  I think I have about 10 atomic clocks.  So, you came to the right place to ask a question about clocks.

 

Before I send you to the Boulder Atomic Clock website, you need to know that on Mainland USA, the radio station WWVB has a range of about 2,000 miles from the towers in Fort Collins, CO—just north of Boulder.  (There is also another tower on Kauai, Hawaii.)  Since you can’t receive a good signal, you must be 2,000 miles or more from Fort Collins, CO, or in an area where the reception is difficult to receive because of terrain or other obstruction.

 

However, there is hope for you…

 

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has a great FAQ section on its website.  The section includes many questions and answers related to reception problems.  I made it easy for you.  Just click here: Reception Problems and go down to the section titled, “What to Do When They Don’t Work”

 

For those who don’t have questions about reception problems, you should check out the NIST site.  It has a ton of interesting information about time.  Just click here: NIST Website.

 

Oh…although I live only 38 miles from the Boulder facility, I have never seen the Atomic Clock.  But you can by clicking here: NIST-F1 Cesium Fountain Atomic Clock…The Primary Time and Frequency Standard for the United States.

Atomic Clock - Computer

I heard a discussion on the radio that there is a way to synchronize my computer with the atomic clock in Boulder.  Do you know where I can find the software to do this? - Anonymous

 

Anon:  Yes, I do.  If you go to this National Institute of Standards and Technology website, you'll see the download you need at the right side of your screen.  After you download the software, you just click on the "Query Server" option to synchronize your computer's time to the NIST time.

Attacking the Competition

Is there any evidence that start-up or relatively new station attacking a heritage station (rock format) helps with the ratings? - Anonymous

 

Anon:  I have studies in my files that go back to the early 1980s showing that, in most cases, attacking your competitors will not help your ratings.  There are a few instances where it might work, but the type and approach of the attack must be tested with listeners—the people who listen to you and your competitor.

 

Overall, everything I have done indicates that it's best to promote your own product and stay away from attacking your competitor.  Allow your programming and your advertising to highlight your strengths.  If you have something better than your competitors, listeners will find out.

 

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