Arbitron, PPM Coalition Settle Outstanding Disputes

RADIO ONLINE | , , | :am CT

Arbitron has settled its outstanding disputes with the PPM Coalition (PPMC) with a plan to move forward collaboratively. Under the leadership of House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-NY), Arbitron and the PPMC have worked jointly with the Media Rating Council to implement a series of steps designed to enhance the recruitment methodology of PPM.

The enhancements include the addition of address-based sampling with targeted in-person recruiting to increase PPM panelist participation in key market segments.

"Arbitron remains committed to the continuous improvement of our PPM ratings service," said Arbitron President/ CEO William T. Kerr. "We have worked with the PPMC and the MRC to design these initiatives, and we believe they will help Arbitron deliver the quality data that our customers expect. These initiatives, together with other elements, are part of a larger ongoing program by Arbitron to obtain and retain MRC accreditation."

"We believe that this agreement represents a positive step that moves both groups forward in a spirit of collaboration," said ICBC Broadcast Holdings COO Charles Warfield on behalf of the PPMC. "This has been a long and difficult journey, but we are committed to working closely with Arbitron and the MRC and seeing the implementation of these initiatives."

"Reliable ratings data is vitally important for all stakeholders in the radio marketplace," added Univision President/CEO Joe Uva. "Arbitron's commitment to evolve its methodology is a step forward in achieving that goal."

"We are very pleased with the settlement. We hope it marks the beginning of a new kind of partnership with Arbitron where we all work together to continuously improve the PPM service which we believe will instill a new level of confidence in its results," said Spanish Broadcasting System Chief Revenue Officer Frank Flores.

The initiatives include the addition of targeted in-person recruitment to Arbitron's PPM panelist recruitment approach that currently includes mailings and phone calls. Arbitron says in-person recruitment benefits all broadcasters as it targets population segments that are more likely to be reachable only by cell phone -- including youth and minorities.

Additional initiatives undertaken by Arbitron to help support minority and all broadcasters include:

• Launching a previously disclosed engagement metric in 2010.
• Increasing the PPM sample size for people 18-54 by about 10% by mid-2011 as previously disclosed.
• Forming a minority leadership council in 2010 to bring the leadership of broadcasters and agency communities together.
• Expanding current initiatives directed toward advertiser outreach for minority radio.

The enhanced recruitment approach is scheduled to begin in July, 2010 with targeted in-person recruiting. In-person recruiting would initially be deployed in the high density Black and Hispanic areas across the top 25 PPM markets by year-end 2010; with implementation of address-based sampling and the addition of targeted in-person recruiting across all geographies of all PPM markets by the end of 2011.

FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn said, "While I do have some general structural concerns about the voluntary nature of the MRC's process, I am nonetheless heartened that the parties have negotiated a solution without formal governmental action. I will continue to stay engaged with the parties as they implement their agreement to ensure that all radio stations and listeners receive the promised benefits of the PPM system."

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