Rajar has one interest: data

Nigel Reeve was at his most mischievous when he wrote “Smaller stations need Rajar to start listening” (MW March 14). He knows much of what he wrote is incorrect as he and I discussed the topics he raised in the article in our meeting on January 10.

Rajar delivers impartial gold-standard data, to an industry-agreed specification. It is not a marketing organisation and does not “support” any station, group or sector.

It is true that it presents top-line adult data at its quarterly press conference. However, Rajar is not only concerned with adult listening. The use of respondent-level data in planning systems allows unlimited access to every age, class, gender and ethnic background, and other groups.

The reason Rajar presents adult data at press conferences is to give journalists a brief, impartial entry point to the data, enabling comparisons. The BBC and the CRCA also give brief presentations, which can cover any demographic groups. Individual stations can talk to journalists about their own performance in any demographics they wish. It is down to Reeve to get his sales point across; Rajar is not and will never be a “sales house” for anybody.

To put that into perspective, BBC Radio and the CRCA own Rajar. The Rajar executive has no vested interests and indeed no member of the Rajar executive sits on the Rajar board.

So come on Nigel, surely there are better ways to market your station than by taking misguided pot shots at Rajar.

Jane O’Hara

Managing director

Rajar

London