KEY POINTS:
Advertisers are pressing for more accurate estimates of radio audiences after the way routine maintenance on Auckland's Sky Tower disrupted a six-monthly survey.
The radio industry cancelled the March estimate of listeners, which provides the information advertisers use to buy air time.
Advertisers are sceptical about the reasons for cancelling the survey, with the head of the media agencies group at industry body Caanz, Kath Watson, casting doubt on the radio industry's explanation.
"This was sprung on us before Christmas. It's rather annoying because the reasons are so stupid," she said.
"It seems to me that it is an excuse, but to be honest I don't know what it is an excuse for."
The Radio Broadcasters' Association says the March survey faced practical problems because maintenance, including painting of radio masts, could only be conducted during February and March.
Association executive director David Innes said the maintenance would mean lower power for some stations, reducing the sound and potentially affecting audiences.
The survey could not be moved to April because of the possibility of bad weather causing further delays.
The industry had considered going ahead in other parts of the country but decided that lack of Auckland data would undermine the data available for determining audiences for national advertising campaigns.
But agencies questioned the industry handling of the problem, given that the six-monthly surveys were a key tool for decisions about advertising spending.
Martin Gillman, managing director of advertising agency Total Media, said that the industry approach appeared to be wanting things both ways.
"On the one hand they say that the problems is so bad that they have to cancel the survey," he said.
"Then when we say 'if it is bad for some stations we would like to know when stations are out so we do not waste our spend,' then they say that the problem is not that bad."
Gillman said that the loss of the half-yearly ratings survey would probably have some impact on audience-monitoring decisions.
Advertising industry body Caanz has formed a group to discuss with the industry ways of moving beyond the present diary system to a more accurate method.
These included the development of a radio version of the electronic "people meters" used in television ratings.
But advertisers are increasingly looking for more accurate estimates of audiences than the written "diary" systems.
Written surveys used by the print industry recorded people's habits rather than the reality, said Gillman.
Innes said electronic people meters were expensive and the industry was more enthusiastic about online surveys.
