The latest RAIN Poll was inspired by the iTunes Radio commercials which ran on a Boston FM station (and presumably other stations). The DJ-read spot (which you can listen to here) was startling to hear, and led us to survey users on this question: Would you run iTunes Radio advertising on your radio station?
The majority answer was Yes, which was selected by 58 percent of respondents. Everyone else (42%) said No.
We invited comments to flesh out the answers. Some selections:
Talk only: “Too close a competitor. (I might on a News/Talk station, but not on a music station.)”
What else is new?: “Lots of things you advertise take listeners away from your station. Movies, Plays, shopping malls.”
Not really competitive: “Like Spotify, iTunes radio is a complement. Will not replace a real musical radio with a high targeted programming.”
Pointless to refuse: “It makes you money with the ad, and they will hear about Itunes anyway one way or another.”
Eh: “Why not.”
Don’t share your share: “Though most sales departments don’t think this way, the audience of a station will only give you so much time. So why advertise products that will steal time away from your station. I would not advertise Sirius, or XM when they first started. I would not give away TVs for ‘the big game.’ I would fight tooth and nail to not advertise iTunes Radio.”
Duh: “For the same reason I wouldn’t run spots for a broadcast radio competitor.”
Terrestrial radio guys haven’t changed much. Still using carts, too?