CRA Selects Xtra for Australian Regional Radio Survey

Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) has appointed Xtra Research as the official provider of regional radio surveys across the country. The contract commences next month.

Xtra will undertake radio audience measurement for markets outside of the five capital cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, and three major centres of the Gold Coast. Canberra and Newcastle are already covered by the current GfK Audience Measurement Survey contract.

According to CRA, the prohibitive cost of conducting radio ratings surveys in smaller regional areas previously meant that some had not been surveyed for several years. In 2014, CRA introduced a new methodology, which enabled regional radio stations to commission one of a panel of four approved providers to undertake surveys in conjunction with other commercial and public broadcasters in their licence area. Under the panel system, Xtra conducted surveys in a number of areas, and the firm will now become the single regional radio survey provider from 2016.

Announcing the appointment, CRA CEO Joan Warner said the decision will enable smaller radio markets to undertake more regular, reliable and cost effective audience measurement that is consistent across markets. 'There has been a very positive response to the new research and we hope to see it expand across more markets. The industry looks forward to working with Xtra to provide valuable insights into the regional listening audience for stations, advertisers and agencies,' she added.

Web site: www.commercialradioaustralia.com.au .