Arbitron's PPM Gets Riverside MRC Accreditation

Radio mic and headphonesArbitron's Portable People Meter radio ratings service has received accreditation from the Media Rating Council for quarter-hour ratings in the Riverside, Calif. market, marking another step forward for the passive electronic measurement device. It's also an important validation of its "Radio First" phone-based sampling method.

President, Chairman and CEO Steve Morris said "the accreditation of the monthly PPM quarter-hour radio estimates in Riverside-San Bernardino demonstrates that our 'Radio First' methodology, which uses a telephone-based sample frame and telephone recruitment, can deliver audience estimates that meet the standards of the Media Rating Council."

Morris added that the improved sampling methodology used in Riverside should begin to have an impact in other big markets, too.

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The rollout of PPM has not been without controversy.

Minority broadcasters complained that PPM samples underrepresented certain key demos in different ethnic groups, including African-American men ages 18-34. This prompted the attorneys general of New York and New Jersey to file lawsuits against Arbitron, accusing it of violating state civil rights laws. Earlier this week, Arbitron announced that it had reached settlements with both states, with conditions including meeting certain minimum sample targets in those radio markets.

The lack of MRC accreditation in any market besides Houston has long been an albatross around Arbitron's neck. Last fall, a group of big radio broadcasters took out ads in the radio trade press criticizing Arbitron for rushing PPM into service before it was ready and demanding that the company obtain accreditation in at least one market besides Houston.

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