Arbitron Reports 2012 Second-Quarter Financial Results

William T. Kerr

 ARBITRON has announced results for the second quarter ended JUNE 30th, 2012.

Net income for the second quarter 2012 increased 31.4% to $10.0 million, or $0.37 per share (diluted), compared with $7.6 million, or $0.27 per share (diluted), for the second quarter of 2011.

The Company reported revenue of $104.4 million, an increase of 9.1% over revenue of $95.7 million during the second quarter of 2011. The company said, "factors contributing to the second quarter revenue increase include annual escalators in the Company's multi-year radio ratings contracts, in particular, the continued phase-in of contracted price increases for the PORTABLE PEOPLE METER service as well as growth in revenues from the Company's cross-platform and mobile services. In addition, second quarter revenue benefited from the timing of certain items associated with survey data from prior periods."

Costs and expenses for the second quarter increased by 5.8% to $93.8 million in 2012 from $88.7 million in 2011.

Earnings before interest, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) for the quarter was $23.6 million, an increase of 19.7% compared with EBITDA of $19.7 million for the second quarter of 2011.

EBITDA margin in the second quarter increased to 22.6% from 20.6% for the same period last year.

Pres./CEO WILLIAM T. KERR said, "Throughout the second quarter, we remained focused on our longstanding priorities: pursuing opportunities for revenue growth while enhancing the value and utility of our core services."

"ARBITRON MOBILE reached an agreement with iRESEARCH," noted KERR "a leading online measurement company in CHINA, to use our on-device smartphone and tablet meter technology to jointly operate a syndicated mobile media research service in mainland CHINA, the world's largest smartphone market."

Continued KERR, "On the digital radio front, we have completed the development of a methodology for retrieving, storing and processing daily raw streaming log file data from broadcasters and content delivery networks, and continued the important dialogue with the radio industry on the appropriate approach and reporting framework for our planned integrated radio ratings service."

"Throughout the quarter," KERR summed up, "we maintained our efforts to enhance the quality of our radio ratings services. Based on these efforts and on our progress, and as we just announced, THE MEDIA RATING COUNCIL has accredited the average quarter hour monthly radio ratings data produced by our PPM service in five additional markets, including LOS ANGELES. In total, the ratings data produced in 14 markets can now display the MRC double checkmark logo."

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