History[edit]

The company was founded in 1973 and published its first issue on October 5 of that year. Founders included Bob Wilson and Robert Kardashian.^[2] The publication was issued in a weekly print edition, and it also issued a bi-annual Directory. R&R published its print edition from 1973 through August 4, 2006. Its weekly columns and features were intended to inform and educate the radio industry by each format, in addition to format-specific charts based on radio airplay.^[3] With the June 25, 1999, issue, the charts became populated by data from Mediabase, a company that monitors and tracks radio airplay in cities across the U.S.^[4] From 1987 to 2002 the magazine was owned by Westwood One, which collaborated with Radio & Records to use its charts and format editors for WWOne's syndicated radio programs.


On July 6, 2006, VNU, the parent company of Billboard and its sister publication Billboard Radio Monitor, announced the acquisition of Radio & Records, and a month later on August 1, officially took over ownership. R&R then fell under the operations of the Billboard Information Group.


On July 12, 2006, VNU announced that Radio & Records and Billboard Radio Monitor would be integrated into one publication called R&R. The new R&R published charts based on Nielsen BDS data.^[5] Both Billboard Radio Monitor and R&R ceased publication as separate trades, with Monitor issuing its last edition on July 14, 2006 after 13 years, and R&R ending their 33-year run as an independent trade with its August 4, 2006 edition.


Radio & Records was relaunched as a magazine under new owners VNU Media on August 11, 2006, as R&R. The company, which has since changed its name to The Nielsen Company, currently publishes 6 daily email publications, 35 weekly email publications, and 4 websites, each serving segments of the radio and records industries.


Like Billboard, which is also owned by VNU Media, Radio & Records used data from Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems to develop the charts showing which records were played each week by leading radio stations. Prior to the merger, Radio & Records had used monitored charts and playlists from Mediabase. The format charts used during its run included CHR/Top 40, Rhythmic, Gospel, Urban, Country, Adult Contemporary, Rock, Christian, Latin and Smooth Jazz.


In 2000 Radio & Records entered the Spanish music business purchasing weekly trade publication Radio Y Musica and Radio y Musica Convention from Alfredo Alonso.


On June 3, 2009, R&R announced that they were immediately ceasing operations after the release of the June 5 issue.^[6]