The Broadcast Research Council of South Africa (BRC) has announced a significant overhaul of its television and radio audience measurement programs, emphasizing its dedication to delivering accurate and dependable data that reflects the dynamic South African media landscape.
Gary Whitaker, CEO of the BRC, highlighted the importance of these updates, stating, "The South African media industry has always depended on high-quality research to inform strategic decisions. As the industry evolves, we are committed to ensuring our audience measurement systems evolve with it, providing crucial insights for all stakeholders."
In response to broadcaster concerns regarding the latest Television Establishment Survey (TV ES) results, the BRC commissioned an independent review by 3M3A. The review revealed that the weighting efficiency of the most recent TV ES was insufficient, leading to a recommendation against its integration into the Television Audience Measurement Survey (TAMS).
"The TAMS panel has demonstrated good sensitivity to market changes over the years," says Whitaker. "To build on this, we will be conducting a longitudinal analysis of viewing data from 2019 to 2024, focusing on both unweighted and weighted metrics. This will help us forecast trends and understand the impact of weighting on the results."
The BRC says that it will also be exploring ways to better align TAMS and the Radio Audience Measurement Survey (RAMS), ensuring consistent population sizing and demographic profiling across the two currencies.
"Collaboration and transparency are key to the success of our audience measurement initiatives," Whitaker says. "We will be working closely with broadcasters, advertisers and other stakeholders to implement a phased approach to updating the television universe, including reweighting the 2023 Establishment Survey (ES) and commissioning a new, comprehensive ES that serves both television and radio audiences."
The release of RAMS Amplify Q1 2024 data was delayed due to concerns raised by the Radio Research Committee (RRC), particularly around the past-seven-day (P7D) radio listening figures, which have declined slowly but steadily over the past few years, says the BRC.
"We take these concerns seriously and have established a technical subcommittee to identify areas for improvement in RAMS Amplify," says Whitaker. "This subcommittee will work closely with Ipsos to address the queries and provide an action plan to ensure the data can be released with confidence."
The BRC's analysis, conducted by 3M3A, found no issues with the sample or weighting in the March 2024 dataset, indicating a gradual decline in overall radio listening. However, the analysis also highlighted some interesting trends, such as the impact of the Youth Booster and the High-Income / Online Booster.
"We will be monitoring these trends closely and exploring the potential need for more qualitative research to better understand how consumers are engaging with radio," Whitaker says. "Our goal is to ensure RAMS Amplify remains a reliable and responsive currency that reflects the evolving listening habits of South Africans."
As the BRC nears the end of the RAMS Amplify Ipsos contract in January 2026, the body says it is taking preemptive preparations to ensure a smooth transition to a new currency or an improved version of the current one.
The Council also says it is looking into ways for television and radio broadcasters to collaborate more, with the goal of future-proofing audience measuring methods and achieving economies of scale.
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