From 5 to 3: Why Nielsen’s Change Still Falls Short
Big news from Nielsen: starting January 2025, the minimum listening threshold in PPM markets will drop from 5 minutes to 3 minutes. The idea is to better capture those shorter bursts of listening that dominate modern radio habits. According to Nielsen, nearly half of all PPM listening occasions are under 5 minutes, so this change is meant to give stations credit for listeners who might otherwise have been missed.
Great news, right? Radio will finally get credit for the cume that’s always been there—because who doesn’t love celebrating what should have been counted all along?
What Stations Need to Do
Nielsen is offering to share raw impact data for each market. If you’re in radio, request those Excel sheets immediately. Compare the new data to your current metrics and see how your station’s numbers change. It’s an important step to validate the numbers and prepare for what’s coming.
Why the Wait?
While the change officially begins with the January 2025 survey, Nielsen won’t release full data until April. But here’s the thing: January is critical for sales, and stations can’t afford to wait until spring to leverage these numbers. Nielsen already has the data—so why the delay? Stations need to sell now, not four months down the road.
Our Take
With over 30 years in radio research, we’re glad to see Nielsen moving toward more accurate measurement—but let’s be honest, this data should’ve been available from the start. Radio has always deserved better credit for its audiences, and while this change helps, it still doesn’t level the playing field with digital, which operates on impressions rather than time thresholds. Why wait until April to release the data? Stations need these numbers now to hit the ground running in January, especially during such a crucial sales period.
The industry deserves transparency and timeliness—let’s hope this isn’t just a step forward but a push for greater parity in the media landscape. If you need help navigating this change, reach out. We’ve been decoding the fine print of radio research for decades.