• by July 31, 2002

Market researcher Arbitron Inc. has agreed with the radio industry’s request to expand its Portable People Meter trial for a second test of 1,000 people in Philadelphia.

The trial, which will begin soon, will allow direct comparisons to the existing Portable People Meter trial in the Philadelphia/Wilmington, Del., market area. The Portable People Meter, which has been in development for 10 years, would give the radio industry the same type of ratings available for TV and cable.

But the radio industry, through Arbitron’s Radio Advisory Council and other industry groups, wants to see more before they decide whether to approve the Portable People Meter for use in its ratings. They’ve also asked for a trial in one of the Top 25 Hispanic markets and have pushed for a review of radio listening during the crucial dayparts like the morning drive time.

Arbitron said it would run a trial in a Hispanic market, although it would depend on a joint venture proposed with Nielsen Media Research. Nielsen couldn’t be reached for comment. But Arbitron said it would review radio listening behavior under the Portable People Meter, which has already come up with some surprising results. Spokesman Thom Mocarsky said because the new device automatically logs listening (compared to the industry mainstay that relies on people to log their own listening with paper and pencil), it’s found some variations between the new and old results. One is that consumers’ total time with radio is the same but more stations are being listened to during that period.

“The Portable People Meter is picking up listening that’s not being reported in the diary,” he said.

Arbitron hopes to have its Portable People Meter become the industry’s benchmark for market research, but the industry wants to know more before accepting the results that could change the way they do business. Mocarsky said that’s the reason for the expanded Portable People Meter trial.

“It’s a way of helping them understand,” he said.

He and other company officials said the radio industry’s request for more trials didn’t bother them.

“We have no fear of running a parallel panel,” he said.

Earlier tests of the system have been made since 1998, including in Manchester, England, and Wilmington, Del.