Arbitron Updates PPM Rollout Schedule; MRC Accreditation Not Granted In Houston

New PPM Rollout Schedule

ARBITRON today (11/16) announced an update to the rollout schedule for the PORTABLE PEOPLE METER ratings service that it previously released in MARCH 2006 (NET NEWS 3/14) and reported that accreditation was not granted for the HOUSTON market at the NOVEMBER 15 MEDIA RATING COUNCIL (MRC) PPM audit committee meeting.

The company said HOUSTON, which has been the PPM's demonstration market since mid-2005, will switch from diaries to PPM-based ratings after ARBITRON obtains MRC accreditation for that market. That means PHILADELPHIA will now be the first market to roll out PPM.

There has been a very clear call to action for both stations and agencies, and we hope the industry will embrace it

* In PHILADELPHIA, ARBITRON will initiate electronic measurement in JANUARY 2007. The FALL 2006 diary-based ratings report will be the currency in the market until the release of the MARCH 2007 PPM ratings report. The JANUARY 2007 and FEBRUARY 2007 PPM radio ratings reports will be released as demonstration data.

* In NEW YORK, NASSAU-SUFFOLK and MIDDLESEX-SOMERSET-UNION, ARBITRON will initiate electronic measurement in OCTOBER 2007. The SUMMER 2007 diary-based ratings reports will be the currency in the market until the release of the DECEMBER 2007 PPM radio ratings report. The OCTOBER 2007 and NOVEMBER 2007 PPM radio ratings report will be released as demonstration data.

* In LOS ANGELES and RIVERSIDE-SAN BERNARDINO, ARBITRON will initiate electronic measurement in JANUARY 2008. The FALL 2007 diary-based ratings report will be the currency in the market until the release of the MARCH 2008 PPM radio ratings report. The JANUARY 2008 and FEBRUARY 2008 PPM radio ratings reports will be released as demonstration data.

'Critical Mass Of Radio Broadcaster Support'

"The updated schedule we are announcing today balances our commitment to the MRC process, the demands of our PPM customers, and the recent recommendations of our station and agency advisory councils," ARBITRON Pres./CEO STEVE MORRIS said. "ARBITRON is committed to having MRC accreditation of all PPM markets. We have further committed to achieving accreditation prior to commercialization of the PPM service in HOUSTON. That commitment for HOUSTON remains. We understand that, while accreditation was not granted at the NOVEMBER 15 MRC PPM audit committee meeting, the list of question areas has now been narrowed to two. We will be working with the MRC to address those issues as quickly as possible.

"Beyond HOUSTON, we believe we have a critical mass of radio broadcaster support today in PHILADELPHIA, NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES. Together with an overwhelming number of agencies and advertisers, these broadcasters are urging us to begin the commercialization of the PPM ratings service as soon as possible. To that end, once we complete the independent MRC audit for PHILADELPHIA and subsequent markets, illuminate the audit results with a report to the MRC audit committee and provide time for customers to review the impact on their business of PPM data as compared to diary data, we would then commercialize the PPM ratings service in each market. We would, of course, continue to pursue MRC accreditation after a market is commercialized."

The company said the new rollout schedule is designed to allow subscribing stations and agencies to get the full value of their final diary-based ratings report; ensure that there is only one currency for the buying and selling of radio advertising by eliminating any overlap in the use of PPM-based and diary-based ratings; provide two individual months of PPM-based ratings before eliminating diary measurement to allow users to understand the differences between the two methods in each market; and give radio stations and agencies more time to train their sales and buying staffs on how to do business in an electronically measured marketplace.

'Encouraged By The Industry's Interest'

"Our ADVISORY COUNCIL asked ARBITRON to give the industry specific dates for the rollout of PPM and to help train the industry on how best to use PPM ratings," said ARBITRON Pres./Sales & Marketing PIERRE BOUVARD. "We are encouraged by the industry’s interest and commitment to further PPM training, and we welcome the opportunity to move the industry into the implementation stages of PPM. There has been a very clear call to action for both stations and agencies, and we hope the industry will embrace it."

« see more Net News