PPM Survey Begins in Philly on Thursday 1-11-07

[Chris_Rose]

Clear Channel is the only major group that refuses to encode the signal necessary for their stations to be counted in Arbitron's debut PPM market. I predict Clear Channel will ultimately regret their decision.


"I've yet to see what [Clear Channel's] reasoning is," said Rich Russo, director of broadcast services for JL Media. "They're impeding progress and impeding the flow of better information. This isn't the forum for rate negotiation."

 

[Chris_Rose]

PPM Measurement Begins in Philadelphia; Company Cites 'End of an Era'

The arrival of PPM also brings the end of Arbitrends in Philly; subscribing stations instead will get monthly PPM-based audience estimates. The first PPM monthly audience estimates will come out on Feb. 28 for the monthly survey of Jan. 11-Feb. 7. The March monthly survey period (March 8 to April 4) will be the first "currency" ratings from PPM; that survey will deliver on April 25.

http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0100/t.664.html

 

[Chris_Rose]

Clearly Absent From the List

“We have truly ended an era with the delivery of the Radio Market Report for the Fall Survey. These are the very last ‘currency’ radio ratings for Philadelphia that we intend to tabulate using entries written in diaries,” said Jay Guyther, senior vice president, Rating Services, Arbitron Inc.

The following groups and independent stations get a checkmark on the Arbitron list as “encoding participants” as of January 10, 2006. They are:

Beasley
CBS Radio
Greater Media
Nassau Broadcasting Partners LP
Millennium Radio Group
Radio One
WBEB-FM –Independent
WHYY-FM–Independent
NextMedia Group Inc
Reading Eagle Company
Inner City Broadcasting Corp.
University of Pennsylvania
Cabrini College
Camden County College
Burlington County College
WHOL-AM - Matthew Braccili
WVBV-FM - Hope Christian Church of Marlton
WCHE-AM - Chester County Radio
Equity Communications LP


So... it would seem that Clear Channel has voluntarily elected to no longer "be heard" by the Arbitron company. What will this do to its ability to compete for advertising revenue in Philadelphia? Has CC just shot itself in the foot?

 

[Koste]

Non-commercialss will now be rated too?

 

[fred flintstone]

Non-commercials have long been rated. Those numbers just were not reported with the commercial numbers.

 

[Chris_Rose]

Pierre Bouvard on the Need to Encode for PPM

Arbitron PPM President Pierre Bouvard: "In conversations with many agencies across the country, we hear they are making demands for PPM encoding because of pressure from outside auditing firms who review their buys. If someone is not encoding, they will be essentially an unrated radio station. There are many advertisers that have dictates that say you can't buy unrated radio stations. That's why we will give any station an encoder for free."

 

[simonbarrsinister]

The PPM's are a very welcomed change to a very flawed diary system. The ppms will also have an accurate account of the 5 minute listeners and channel surfing activity. As long as it's a 5 minute stop, the PPm's will register the listening. The news sources should see an increase on their numbers when people stop in for traffic and news updates, which usually have you hanging for at least 5 minutes.
I still have a problem understanding the PPm demo distribution including 6 year old kids. I can almost hear it now, .."Kidd Chris and Free Fm, Number one with first graders....." "PhilDELPHIA PLAYGROUNDS CHOOSE...b101 MORE TAHN ANY OTHER STATION" (

 

[simonbarrsinister]

The PPM's are a very welcomed change to a very flawed diary system. The ppms will also have an accurate account of the 5 minute listeners and channel surfing activity. As long as it's a 5 minute stop, the PPm's will register the listening. The news sources should see an increase on their numbers when people stop in for traffic and news updates, which usually have you hanging for at least 5 minutes.
I still have a problem understanding the PPm demo distribution including 6 year old kids. I can almost hear it now, .."Kidd Chris and Free Fm, Number one with first graders....." "PhilDELPHIA PLAYGROUNDS CHOOSE...b101 MORE TAHN ANY OTHER STATION" ( kid efx out)
I'm sure they have some bugs to get out of the system but still it's WAY better than the paper diary. (just my opinion)
SIMON Says.....ENCODE UNDERDOG!

 

[Chris_Rose]

Did Clear Channel Just Get Played?

Arbitron was real discrete about whether or not they were going to continue with the diaries in Philadelphia. I never came across ANY information that flat out stated that PPM was the NEW ratings standard in Philadelphia PERIOD! I always kind of assumed that Arbitron would continue simultaneously with the PPM and DIARY system in Philadelphia, thereby, giving CC something to fall back on. That IS what they are paying for after all. Then they could at least say "yeah, WDAS may have dropped to #14 in PPM, but the diary still has us at #1."

Think about it... up to two weeks ago, both Radio One and Clear Channel were refusing to encode. Forcing Arbitron to decide whether to even proceed with rating the market at all. Surely if they had to choose between Diary or no ratings at all, they would (presumably) choose to at least maintain the diary system.

Arbitron played a VERY STRONG hand of poker, and effectively called Clear Channel's bluff. Now all of a sudden, they are flooding the internet with "statements" from very high up (Pierre Bouvard and Jay Guyther), effectively encouraging the ad community to "boycott" CC in Philly. Oh yes my friend, the game is on...

By pulling the diary, Arbitron pulled the (ratings) rug right out from under Clear Channel. Now they are effectively a "pirate" in Philly (I LOVE the irony). Imagine how difficult it's going to be for CC reps to "sell" this to their clients.

CC Rep: "No, yeah, I know we don't show up in the PPM ratings, but you remember us don't you? We're WDAS! The #1 station."

19 yr old Media Buyer: "Uh, I listen to my iPod... you're who?" "Sorry, never heard of you. But could you fax over a ranker and I'll see what I can do ...'bye 'bye now."