Arbitron to Postpone Use of Diary Instructions for Satellite and Internet Radio Listening
Live market test in 25 markets to take place in February 2006
Pending test outcome, implementation delayed to Summer 2006 at earliest.
COLUMBIA, MD, November 3, 2005–Arbitron announced today that in answer to the concerns of the NAB Committee on Local Radio Audience Measurement and of the Arbitron Radio Advisory Council, it has decided to revise its plans for including new diary instructions that tell radio survey participants to record listening to Internet and/or satellite radio as well as to over-the-air radio. Arbitron originally intended to modify its diary instructions starting with the Winter 2006 survey.
“COLRAM raised the issue with us last week, and the Arbitron Advisory Council seconded their concerns,” said Owen Charlebois, president, U.S. Media Services, Arbitron Inc. “While we believe that modifying the diary instructions is the right thing to do from a research quality standpoint, Arbitron has decided to address more fully our customers’ concerns with a limited test of the revised instructions in 25 markets in February 2006. Implementation would follow a successful outcome, but not sooner than Summer 2006.”
The current diary does not ask respondents to indicate whether they listen to radio stations over the Internet or via satellite services. The revised instructions are intended to capture and report radio listening recorded by respondents regardless of the delivery vehicle.
“Our goal is to improve the quality of the research that we are delivering to our customers. Listeners, particularly those who are younger, are already telling us that they have expanded their definition of what radio is,” said Mr. Charlebois. “In addition, traditional radio broadcasters are expanding their use of new technologies to deliver content to listeners. We want to improve the diary’s ability to capture all these forms of radio. Our customers will then have a better understanding of what Americans are listening to and how they can best serve an evolving radio audience.”
The revised diary instructions being tested in February 2006 are meant to clarify to respondents that listening can be to over-the-air radio, Internet and/or satellite radio.
The proposed instructions would also refer to Internet and satellite radio in one of the items in the diary completion checklist. Arbitron will also include an Internet and satellite reference in the illustrated diary example.
About Arbitron
Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) is an international media and marketing research firm serving radio broadcasters, cable companies, advertisers, advertising agencies and outdoor advertising companies in the United States, Mexico and Europe. Arbitron’s core businesses are measuring network and local market radio audiences across the United States; surveying the retail, media and product patterns of local market consumers; and providing application software used for analyzing media audience and marketing information data. The Company has also developed the Portable People Meter (PPMSM), a new technology for media and marketing research.
Arbitron’s marketing and business units are supported by its research and technology organization, located in Columbia, Maryland. Arbitron has approximately 1,700 employees; its executive offices are located in New York City.
Through its Scarborough Research joint venture with VNU, Inc., Arbitron also provides media and marketing research services to the broadcast television, magazine, newspaper and online industries.
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PPMSM is a service mark of Arbitron Inc.
Live market test in 25 markets to take place in February 2006
Pending test outcome, implementation delayed to Summer 2006 at earliest.
COLUMBIA, MD, November 3, 2005–Arbitron announced today that in answer to the concerns of the NAB Committee on Local Radio Audience Measurement and of the Arbitron Radio Advisory Council, it has decided to revise its plans for including new diary instructions that tell radio survey participants to record listening to Internet and/or satellite radio as well as to over-the-air radio. Arbitron originally intended to modify its diary instructions starting with the Winter 2006 survey.
“COLRAM raised the issue with us last week, and the Arbitron Advisory Council seconded their concerns,” said Owen Charlebois, president, U.S. Media Services, Arbitron Inc. “While we believe that modifying the diary instructions is the right thing to do from a research quality standpoint, Arbitron has decided to address more fully our customers’ concerns with a limited test of the revised instructions in 25 markets in February 2006. Implementation would follow a successful outcome, but not sooner than Summer 2006.”
The current diary does not ask respondents to indicate whether they listen to radio stations over the Internet or via satellite services. The revised instructions are intended to capture and report radio listening recorded by respondents regardless of the delivery vehicle.
“Our goal is to improve the quality of the research that we are delivering to our customers. Listeners, particularly those who are younger, are already telling us that they have expanded their definition of what radio is,” said Mr. Charlebois. “In addition, traditional radio broadcasters are expanding their use of new technologies to deliver content to listeners. We want to improve the diary’s ability to capture all these forms of radio. Our customers will then have a better understanding of what Americans are listening to and how they can best serve an evolving radio audience.”
The revised diary instructions being tested in February 2006 are meant to clarify to respondents that listening can be to over-the-air radio, Internet and/or satellite radio.
The proposed instructions would also refer to Internet and satellite radio in one of the items in the diary completion checklist. Arbitron will also include an Internet and satellite reference in the illustrated diary example.
About Arbitron
Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) is an international media and marketing research firm serving radio broadcasters, cable companies, advertisers, advertising agencies and outdoor advertising companies in the United States, Mexico and Europe. Arbitron’s core businesses are measuring network and local market radio audiences across the United States; surveying the retail, media and product patterns of local market consumers; and providing application software used for analyzing media audience and marketing information data. The Company has also developed the Portable People Meter (PPMSM), a new technology for media and marketing research.
Arbitron’s marketing and business units are supported by its research and technology organization, located in Columbia, Maryland. Arbitron has approximately 1,700 employees; its executive offices are located in New York City.
Through its Scarborough Research joint venture with VNU, Inc., Arbitron also provides media and marketing research services to the broadcast television, magazine, newspaper and online industries.
###
PPMSM is a service mark of Arbitron Inc.