Arbitron To Resume PPM Rollout

Arbitron is set to resume the commercialization of results from its Portable People Meter--a passive electronic measurement device for radio listening--in eight major markets, the radio ratings firm announced Thursday.

PPM ratings will be commercialized on October 8, with the release of results for September, replacing the old paper diary system in New York, Nassau-Suffolk and Middlesex-Somerset-Union in Long Island, Los Angeles, Riverside-San Bernardino, Chicago, San Francisco, and San Jose, Calif.

In making the announcement, Steve Morris, the chairman, president and CEO of Arbitron, noted that the company has addressed a number of issues raised by broadcasters.

"We have improved our PPM samples in the four key areas we outlined last November. We have enhanced our ability to deliver PPM sample targets," he said. "We've improved the composition of our PPM panels, especially among the 18-34 demographic. We've raised the day-to-day cooperation rate of our PPM respondents."

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The decision comes despite demands by several broadcasters that Arbitron delay commercialization of PPM in these markets until it earns accreditation from the Media Rating Council in either New York, where the service is already running in a "pre-commercial" phase, or Philadelphia, where it has already been commercialized. To date, the service has only received MRC accreditation in Houston, where it has also been commercialized.

In recent weeks, Cox Radio, Inner-City Broadcasting and Saga Communications ran ads in radio trade publications noting flaws with the system and encouraging readers to call the company and demand that it obtain MRC accreditation for PPM before continuing to roll out the service. These ads echoed earlier complaints by broadcasters that Arbitron was failing to meet its own targets for sample sizes. Some claimed that these flawed samples caused swings in ratings and big drops in audience for stations with formats targeting African-American and Hispanic audiences.

Morris said that Arbitron is committed to eventually getting accreditation from the Media Rating Council for PPM in all the markets where it's deployed--but made it clear that the company would not wait for MRC accreditation before proceeding with the rollout.

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