It is without doubt that the ratings-survey blues that both ABS-CBN and GMA Network, including AGB Nielsen Philippines are facing right now are really making a huge wave of doubt about how surveys are made here in the Philippines. Both networks have already aired spots stating their position on the issue. While we should leave this to the court, we can’t help but think how credible are the ratings results and surveys conducted in our country, especially for the radio broadcast industry.

Last year I’ve posted an article about the reliability of KBP surveys and I believe that radio ratings and surveys done by the Radio Research Council are partly unreliable. The problem lies on the gathering of data. Merely asking and recording the radio listening habits of people aren’t enough. But what if the people they’ve surveyed are being ”exposed to efforts” by radio stations to gain favor in radio ratings?

Bribing or “panunuhol” by radio people during survey season, I think is very hard to imagine. I remember my earlier days in radio that our station would come up with various promos and gimmicks just to catch the attention of the listeners and have them glued on our dial point. There are those trivia games in the morning, phone-in contests, text-in contests and there are the roaming patrollers that give away instant prizes to people spotted listening to our station.

Promos, contests and gimmicks are indeed the twin-activies during radio surveys. I don’t think radio people will ever try to bribe or offer goods in exchange of their favorable votes in radio ratings.

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