Commercial Radio Malaysia (CRM) has appointed GfK as its official research partner to provide radio audience measurement (RAM) in Malaysia. GfK will commence delivery of the industry audience currency for Malaysia radio from second half of this year until end of 2018.
Commercial Radio Malaysia is the association of commercial radio operators in the country. As a research partner, GfK will provide advertisers and media buyers valuable insights into the listening habits of local radio listeners.
GfK will introduce a combined methodological approach for the study in Malaysia. Two waves of surveys will be conducted per year among 12,000 selected radio listeners in Malaysia. These respondents will log their radio usage over a period of seven days; with 80% responding via a paper diary and 20 percent via an electronic diary. To analyse the obtained data, GfK offers its own software solution that enables broadcasters and advertisers a strategic program and media-planning tool.
This new contract signals the return to a single radio ratings system for the Malaysian market.
The move for radio, comes shortly after a landmark announcement by the Media Specialists Association that it is is moving to resolve the TV audience measurement issue.
A singular TV measurement has always been an issue for the local industry. President of the association Bala Pomaleh told local media that the association is in discussion with various parties and hopes to resolve this dilemma soon.
“The MSA is working very closely with the Malaysian Advertisers Association(MAA) as well as Astro and Media Prima Group (and their respective research partners) to revert to a single currency delivery. Details are being discussed and we should have a clear way forward on this very soon,” he said.
For more than four decades, GfK has been providing radio and television audience measurement. The largest German market research institute delivers TV currencies in varying European countries and is currently building corresponding systems in Brazil, Saudi Arabia as well as in Singapore.
GfK radio research operates in a number of European countries and more recently also in Australia and New Zealand.
