Nielsen Audio will be pulling its audience measurement services from three radio markets starting as of this year’s spring book as Eastlan Ratings is expanding into three new markets, including an overlap with the Nielsen cancelation.
The affected Nielsen markets include North Carolina’s Greenville/New Bern/Jacksonville, California’s Visalia/Tulare/Hanford, and Pennsylvania’s Sunbury/Selinsgrove/Lewisburg. Those markets ranked 99, 109, and 215, respectively. The company has not disclosed specific reasons for these cancellations, but the move echoes a cancelation of seven radio markets in spring 2023.
On the other end, Eastlan is moving into Raleigh/Durham, NC, which would become it’s largest measured market. The company also announced the initiation of services in Albany, GA, and Greenville/New Bern/Jacksonville, NC, in April, notably stepping into the latter market ahead of Nielsen’s exit. The company says this decision came with no knowledge of its competitor’s plan.
Eastlan has elevated its measurement frequency in Waco, TX, to continuous monitoring, with the inaugural monthly data set to be released in March.
Eastlan President Mike Gould marked the company’s 25th anniversary, saying, “Time moves so quickly, we are grateful to have been entrusted for a quarter century to provide a complete and unbiased look at how radio is used in markets across North America. When we founded Eastlan in 1999, I don’t think any of us expected to still be growing 25 years later.”
“We owe our success to our fantastically loyal staff and media buyers across the country demanding a comprehensive view of the radio landscape before they invest. Most of all, to local broadcasters insistent upon credible research at an equitable price.”
