As the radio industry adjusts to Nielsen’s new three-minute qualifier methodology, which replaces the previous five-minute standard for counting a listening occasion, the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) launched a series of sessions to address the impact of this significant change.
“Better Together in 2025: A Unified Approach to Nielsen’s Measurement Modernization” brought together industry leaders to discuss how the shift benefits radio and its advertisers.
“This is a pivotal moment,” RAB President/CEO Mike Hulvey said during the live online session. “Nielsen predicts a 20% increase in radio impressions on average. This change impacts and benefits the entire industry, whether you’re in a PPM market, a diary market, or an unrated market. It’s what we call the umbrella or halo effect.”
The importance of unity was emphasized by iHeartMedia Chairman/CEO Bob Pittman. “We need to speak with one voice,” he said. “Radio is the last and only mass-market media, reaching 90% of Americans every month. No other media can claim that kind of longevity and strength.”
Beasley Media Group CEO Caroline Beasley highlighted the need to compete against digital giants. “At CES, we learned that 70% of ad dollars go to digital, with big tech taking half. That number is projected to rise to 80%,” she added. “We need to work together to articulate radio’s value and remain competitive.”
Connoisseur Media CEO Jeff Warshaw echoed that sentiment. “This is an opportunity to ensure radio gets its fair share,” he said. “Our medium delivers for advertisers and engages listeners, and we need to communicate that with a unified message.”
Industry-Wide Impact
During the session, executives from across the industry reinforced the need for a cohesive narrative for advertisers.
Townsquare Media COO of Local Media Erik Hellum compared the approach to a well-crafted radio campaign. “A clear, powerful message delivered with reach and frequency gets results,” he explained. “That’s what we need to do at an industry level.”
Audacy COO Susan Larkin, who spearheads the RAB Advocacy Committee, explained the initiative’s origins. “We started this work years ago, recognizing shifts in ad dollars and consumer behavior,” she revealed. “We need to be honest about where the industry is headed and advocate as one voice.”
Jim Loftus, CEO of Times-Shamrock Communications and co-chair of the RAB Sales Advisory Committee, emphasized the benefits beyond PPM-rated markets. “This will positively impact diary and unrated markets, increasing media relevance and more accurately reporting listener engagement,” he told attendees. “The lift in major markets will benefit the entire industry.”
Jeanne-Marie Condo-Bucknell, CRO of Skyview Networks, expects network advertising to gain from PPM market growth. “This is a pivotal moment,” she remarked. “It will open doors for advertisers who previously undervalued radio.”
Cox Media Group Executive VP of Radio Rob Babin reinforced radio’s dual responsibility to serve both audiences and advertisers. “We’re trusted,” he said. “This change gives us a better representation of our audience, helping us serve clients more effectively.”
Beasley Media Group CFO Tina Murley, instrumental in pooling resources for RAB members, stressed collaboration. “Pooling our studies and resources into a unified presentation will strengthen our message to advertisers,” she emphasized. “We’re better together.”
Saga Communications CEO Chris Forgy, whose company operates in both PPM and diary markets, noted the change’s broad impact. “This will close the gap between diary and PPM markets and level the playing field between terrestrial and streaming listening,” he said.
Bonneville Denver Senior VP/Market Manager Katie Reed said client conversations are already shifting. “We need to emphasize radio’s strength to advertisers, focusing on their benefits rather than just our industry,” she said.
Driving Radio’s Value to Advertisers
Hartley Adkins, President of Markets Group, iHeartMedia, was asked why explaining the benefits of the quarter-hour change was important. “I'm going to answer with a number, $450 billion,” he said. “450 billion. That is what is going to be spent on advertising in the United States this year. We need to ensure radio gets its fair share.”
“Why I push this is because I know that the listeners have voted. They voted with their time in their ears,” he continued. “We got 90% of the population… TikTok delivers a third of the population, and you never stop hearing about them. It's laughable… now with this change, Nielsen is helping us drive that agenda home.”
“This isn't about going out and driving rates,” Adkins added. “This is about having a conversation [with clients] about how they're allocating their dollars, if they were allocating their dollars on previous notions of what radio's worth was, was based on Nielsen and PPM. Now, it's time to change it. We were underestimating the impact of radio. They were underestimated, which has been fixed… We're being treated fairly.”