NRRC Addresses PPM Integration into Natl. Currency

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The Network Radio Research Council (NRRC) has released its recommendation for the posting and re-rating of national radio while Arbitron is integrating the Portable People Meter (PPM) audience data into the national radio measurement currencies of Nationwide and RADAR. NRRC's recommendation should "serve as a guide for evaluating the delivery of purchased schedules," Chair Pamela Foster said Monday.

"The process by which the PPM data is being integrated into our national audience databases is unprecedented in any broadcast medium," stated Foster, who also serves as VP/Research for Crystal Media Networks. "The NRRC's commitment is first and foremost to the advertisers and agencies with whom we are partnered."

As local PPM markets become commercialized, the audience data is being phased into both Nationwide and RADAR. The process is expected to continue for at least the next two years. Because more PPM respondents should be added to each subsequent release, changes in reported audience estimates may be associated with differences in diary-based methodology versus PPM-based methodology, NRRC says, rather than changes in listening.

The following recommendation has been developed by the NRRC following consultation with Arbitron:

Post-Analysis/Re-rates: Given that the mix of diary/PPM will vary from one release to another, users should base any post buy analyses strictly on the survey upon which the decisions were originally made.

Changes in reported audience estimates may be associated with differences in diary based data collection as compared to PPM based data collection. Any analysis of audience change should focus on the corresponding affiliate list and/or clearances.

"We commend The Network Radio Research Council for its initiative in recommending guidelines to help all network buyers and sellers during this unique transition," said VP/Sales Pierre Bouvard.