In this letter to the editor, the author responds to the article “Cumulus Lays Out Its Reasons for Embracing DTS AutoStage.” Radio World welcomes letters to the editor on this or any story. Email [email protected].
Regarding your reporting on Cumulus embracing DTS AutoStage, one critical factor remains unmentioned: DTS only gathers data from connected vehicles — those equipped with infotainment systems featuring built-in internet connectivity.
Vehicles meeting this requirement are typically newer, mid to high-end models generally not driven by lower-income households. My family drives a late-model Ford car and Chevy truck, neither of which is connected, yet I consider us solidly middle class.
A recent DTS press release notes that its system is “integrated into 10 million vehicles globally.”
Consider that scale against the fact that California alone has over 13 million registered passenger vehicles.
Suggesting that DTS AutoStage is a viable replacement for Nielsen misses a key point: until the majority of vehicles on the road are connected, DTS data will skew heavily toward higher economic demographics. That leaves a significant portion of listening underreported for those of us driving standard cars and trucks.
— Mike Worrall, Los Angeles
[Check Out More Letters at Radio World’s Reader’s Forum Section]
