OKC Embargoed?

[lurker34]

Embargoed by ARBITRON today: OKLAHOMA CITY; GREENSBORO-WINSTON SALEM-HIGH POINT;

What does that mean and why was that done?

 

[OKCRadioGuy]

Some don't want to pay for trends. That's aribitons way of punishing them, so to speak, by not letting the info out at all.

 

[woodyrr]

Just to be clear. Are you saying that even those stations here in OKC that want to buy the detailed numbers cannot do it?

I have been selected by Arbitron to fill out a diary at least twice in my lifetime. I was happy to do it and have been scrupulous in filling them out, trying to give them the most accurate information possible. If selected again, this news, as well as whether or not a potential next time involved a PPM (which in my circumstance is useless since I listen almost exclusively on headset) will bear on my decision to accept or decline.

 

[stacker]

It's my understanding that any subscriber can ask for the embargo.

 

[Kent]

Just to be clear. Are you saying that even those stations here in OKC that want to buy the detailed numbers cannot do it?

No. Only the public doesn't see the numbers when an embargo is in place. The advertisers, stations, and everyone who buys the numbers can see them. What usually starts an embargo is either that someone accuses a non-subscriber of trying to sell the numbers or a large group declines to renew its contract. Arbitron, however, rarely issues continuous embargoes anymore; I suspect OKC, like Tulsa, is a trends-only embargo.

Arbitron changed its policies on embargoes a few years ago after a large group, possibly Entercom or CBS, had its contracts expire and would have required the embargo of a large number of markets. I believe it was the Drudge Report that had obtained all of the numbers and said it would publish them regardless of what Arbitron thought or threatened. So, they went ahead and released the quarterly numbers but kept the monthly trends on embargo until the contract situation was resolved. They've followed this policy in most other markets since that time. They also now have subscriber-only quarterly releases, which they hadn't previously done, in some markets.

 

[stacker]

There is (perhaps not) a surprising number of folks who buy radio who don't subscribe. They go to All Access or Radio Info (or any other online source) to get 12+ numbers to see who's on the radar. I know, I've called on these buyers and some are dealing with a bunch of bucks. So when a market is embargoed, the non-subscribing buyers see only the rankers that the subscribing stations choose to show them.

Subscriber only quarterly releases are particularly troublesome. It's like showing a group photo with several folks airbrushed out. Who reads the fine print? I've received e-mails from folks who say something like "hey, good showing in the book," but those results don't see the light of day.

Arbitron owns the numbers and what they do with them is their business. Membership has its price...and it's benefits.