H/T to a CB reader who sent this over to us. It’s an emailed survey from 97.5 the Fanatic with this description:

“As a 97.5 The Fanatic listener, you’re probably aware that we’ve been working hard for the past several years to stay ahead of rapid changes in the radio and technology landscape.

Our goal is to continue to provide great content the way that you want it on the platforms you use most often. So we’re inviting you to share your opinions about technology in our annual survey.

You are among a select group of listeners invited to tell us how you use the radio, along with social media, smartphones, tablets, streaming and the web to stay connected to entertainment, news, and updates from The Fanatic and other sources. Whether you use all these things or not, we really need your opinion.

Your responses will be kept completely confidential, and we will never share your personal information with anyone. We’ll only use the information you provide to enhance our service.

Please note that this survey may take you as long as 15-20 minutes to complete, but you can stop, save your work, and resume at any time. Because of the many changes in technology, it covers a lot of ground. We hope you have the time to help us and let us know your opinions.

When you’re ready to take the survey, just click the link below to participate. You may find it to be an interesting way to reflect on your own changing habits as a 97.5 The Fanatic fan and radio listener.

Thanks in advance for your time and your support of 97.5 The Fanatic.

Scott Masteller
Program Director

Masteller is the new P.D. He’s a veteran ESPN radio executive and he’s going to work a hybrid type of gig as he attempts to make the Fanatic once again competitive with 94 WIP.

I took the survey and here are some of the questions:

  1. How many hours on an average WEEKDAY (Monday-Friday) do you use/listen to any local AM/FM radio stations (using a regular radio OR audio stream on any device)?
  2. Thinking about Podcasts, what PERCENTAGE (%) of American adults would you say listen to Podcasts in a typical week?
  3. Thinking about Spotify, what PERCENTAGE (%) of American adults would you say listen to Spotify in a typical week?
  4. Thinking about SiriusXM Satellite Radio, what PERCENTAGE (%) of American adults would you say listen to SiriusXM Satellite Radio in a typical week?
  5. Thinking about AM/FM radio stations, what PERCENTAGE (%) of American adults would you say listen to AM/FM radio stations ON ANY DEVICE in a typical week?
  6. How many hours on an average WEEKDAY (Monday-Friday) do you watch any TV or any other type of video programming (broadcast TV, cable TV, on-demand, video stream) on any screen (regular TV, mobile device)?
  7. When you’re in the mood to listen to SPORTS TALK and/or PLAY-BY-PLAY like THE STATION THAT SENT YOU THIS SURVEY usually features, which ONE of the following is usually your first choice?
  8. On a 0-10 scale, where “0” means “NOT AT ALL LIKELY,” and “10” means “EXTREMELY LIKELY,” how likely is it that you would recommend THE STATION THAT SENT YOU THIS SURVEY to a friend, family member, or someone you work with?
  9. Other than listening on the radio, how interested are you in connecting with a favorite radio PERSONALITY/SHOW/HOST/DJ?
  10. Below is a series of statements about you – your media habits and your lifestyle. How much do you agree or disagree with each? If you’re not sure or the statement doesn’t apply, click “Don’t Know.”
  11. Which statement best describes your personal situation with satellite radio?

The survey was too long and it was borderline annoying. Questions about artificial intelligence and shit like that. I was breezing through it and it still took me 15-20 minutes to complete. Most of the questions were about consumption habits, like what do you spend the most time with and blah blah blahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

I get that it’s a tech survey, so there weren’t going to be pointed questions about the Fanatic’s programming, but that’s really what they should be asking. They should be asking why people are listening to WIP, asking what hosts listeners like and don’t like, and asking what the station needs to do to get people listening again. All of this other stuff is banal. You don’t need to send out a survey to learn that consumers have many different options in 2024 and that terrestrial radio takes a smaller slice of the media pie. I could have told you that.


Here’s the bottom line –

If you create content worth listening to, people will find it and consume it.