• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, February 22, 2011

Arbitron CEO Bill Kerr cited potential growth opportunities by deploying the portable people meter devices for cross-platform measurement, both in its core radio business and with TV programmers.

With advertisers coveting multiplatform measurement, Kerr said the field offers an opportunity to "maximize the amount of leverage that we can get from our investment in PPM."

In radio, Kerr said that with the sector "focusing on expanding its digital options ... we believe PPM can help the radio industry target and monetize these efforts." In short, it can help bring in more dollars from core customers. For the full year ended December 31, 2010, Arbitron said revenue was $395.4 million, an increase of 2.7% from the same period in 2009.

Exploring opportunities outside radio with the Arbitron PPM panel of 70,000, Kerr said Arbitron can garner revenues, which can then be used to improve its radio offerings, particularly in recruiting younger people for its measurement pool.

The Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement recently selected Arbitron to conduct a test on three-screen measurement -- computer, mobile and TV -- for consumption in and out of the home using PPMs.

Kerr, who just extended his contract through January 2013, called it "an important endorsement of our cross-platform efforts and our capabilities. It's also a positive milestone in our strategy to use our PPM panel and technology to enter new markets."