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Cincy Book Screwed up

  • Thread starter GaryTheThompson
  • Start date

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GaryTheThompson

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Arbitron Releasing Revised Cincy Winter '06 BookARBITRON will be releasing a revised CINCINNATI WINTER '06 BOOK on MONDAY, JUNE 12th at 10a (ET) after learning that three diaries were included in the survey from a media-affiliated households. ARBITRON indicates that audience estimates for RADIO ONE Urban WIZF and other stations that were recorded in the diaries may be slightly affected.
 
ARBITRON indicates that audience estimates for RADIO ONE Urban WIZF and other stations that were recorded in the diaries may be slightly affected.interesting, since the rumor is "a radio one exec" is responsible. ;D ;D ;D
 
Nonsense like this affects the credibility of ratings in general.There is an incredible impact on the bottom line of other stations and potentially irreversible damage to the careers of those personalities whose ratings suddenly disappear.“Deleted diaries”, where is the accountability?
 
Rick Bird wrote back in May (http://news.kypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060502/LIFE/605020389/-1/BACK01):To illustrate further how fluid the Arbitron ratings can be, last fall country stations had some of the highest-rated FM music formats. According to this ratings book, it's hip-hop that rules.WIZF-FM (100.9) surged to No. 1 among 18-34-year-olds, almost doubling its audience from last fall, and it rose from 11th to No. 6 among 25-54 year olds. "The good news is R&B and hip-hop has become so mainstream in the past few years that it doesn't surprise me that we've got this kind of listener base," said Rick Porter, WIZF general manager.What suprises me is how Arbitron ratings still define success for a station. I guess it's the only thing we've got - but it's sure screwed up.Many many years ago, back when I was in radio (I can afford lunch now!) was the only time I received a diary, couldn't fill it out - but I did keep the dollar they sent with it.The pollsters have found me, I keep getting requests for Internet surveys, but nothing form Arbitron or Nielsen. I'm not saying I'm a survey magnet or even want to fill out diaries. But I've never, personnally, known or heard of anyone who has received a broadcast survey.I realize they have a "proprietary" process, but at best it's arcane. Without giving away the store can anyone explain how Arbitron picks people to survey. And, on another note, can anyone say if there are other "acceptable" surveys out there?
 
Before consolidation when a radio station decided to fool around with the ratings and got caught they no longer had ratings.I guess today in our group owned radio industry Arbitron is no longer willing to step up (due to loss of revenue) and make a stand.Simply deleting the media affiliated diaries does little to fix the problem.Their action (or inaction) sends an industry wide message that this kind of meddling is acceptable.What about the impact that those diaries would have had if they had been filled out responsibly?
 
Arbitrons policies and practices appear to have changed; their purpose was to provide accurate quantitative data.The link below demonstrates how Arbitron has dealt with this same scenario in the past.With no one left to keep a watchful eye on things who could blame clients for moving there marketing dollars to a media other than an Arbitron scrutinized and quantified outlet?And why should broadcasters pay for the use of data that is obviously less than accurate? If Arbitron wanted to “fix this” they should,1. De-list the offending stations.2. Refund the other stations in the Cincinnati market their fees paid for that book.3. Invoice the offending stations for their lost revenue. http://www.variety.com/article/VR105880?categoryid=18&cs=1
 
I am just a small voice but I am committed to the continued intrinsic value of the radio broadcast industry.It surprises me that over 400 of you viewed these postings and only a few had anything to say.Should we just go quietly?Or, are you willing to make a stand for all of us?
 
OK you want our comments: I have heard for years here in Dayton that the urban stations have done things to skew the books. Like making sure more diaries went to black homes. I was taking this whole thread with a grain of salt. Only the moronic manager types care about the arbitron numbers anyhow. The whole local brodcasting industry has become money grubbers anyhow. Why shouldn't the rating companies make them happy to see the numbers that they want to see. They just make more money that way. As my old high school shop teacher used to say: "figures don't lie but liars figure".
 
I agree that the diary system has its shortcomings, I am appalled by the less than serious and appropriate reaction or remedy by Arbitron once that they were aware their data had been influenced by a specific “media affiliated households”.Not to argue with your shop teacher but figures can lie if liars are submitting them.
 
Didn't the revised book come out yesterday?? Any word on how stations were affected with the changes?
 
www.insideradio.com posted the winter 06 revision yesterday.One station lost more than a third of its previously posted 12+ numbers and dropped from #2 in the market to being tied for #10.Based on the newly posted numbers many stations showed changes that were what I would consider significant.
 
The numbers have been reposted and there seems to be little change as predicted by Arbitron.http://www.insideradio.com/goout.asp?u=http://www.******************
 
>> The numbers have been reposted and there seems to be little change as predicted by Arbitron.

I don't know that this is all that suprising, considering you are probably looking at 12+ numbers.

I suspect that some of the other demo's might be changed a bit more, but I don't have a before after comparison.

better question, though...

Arbitron seems to know there was a problem, but at the same time, did nothing to really correct, or enforce some type of sanction to the offending station. So, I as another station have nothing to lose by doing the same thing?

If management does this, what is going to prevent a jock from not doing the same thing, although I suspect if a jock did this, there would be more of an example made.

anyway, it just seems really wrong that someone gets caught, then gets away scott free!
 
fixthis said:
I am just a small voice but I am committed to the continued intrinsic value of the radio broadcast industry.It surprises me that over 400 of you viewed these postings and only a few had anything to say.Should we just go quietly?Or, are you willing to make a stand for all of us?
Click to expand...

Arbitron is a lot like ASCAP/BMI/SESAC, if you think about it. They produce a monopoly product that everyone buys and everyone knows where the money is going, but the product is shrouded in secrecy and of dubious origin. Many on these boards along suspect that snake oil and homeopathic methods are involved in the creation of the product. However, changing the product will require changing the buying habits of a large segment of the industry. Numbers are easier to digest in a corporate boardroom than reports from the field.

There's that little ray of sunshine: the PPM, which probably won't solve as many problems as Arbitron claims, but for which the industry is holding its collective baited breath. DEVIL'S ADVOCATE: It will almost certainly introduce its own new set of problems, inaccuracies, and material for discussion.
 
I was initially frustrated and quite frankly stunned by the outcome myself.
Judging by their stock prices the radio company in question will soon be under new management and due to the fact that radio is after all a small group of dedicated people with long memories the “exec” that was responsible should practice the phrase “would you like fries with that”.
As for Arbitron, agencies and advertisers read these posts and integrity is the not the latest Buick.
 
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