Pre-Olympics PPM Test Begins

CSM Media Research - a TNS joint venture with Chinese MR firm CTR Market Research - is about to commence field tests of Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM) to measure radio audiences in the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

CSM says that it has already put in place a pilot panel and will be using a 'carefully designed' testing methodology to aid understanding of how PPM performs in Beijing's media environment. The test with the city's major radio broadcasters is supported by radio media owners, as well as CSM and Arbiton.

MD of CSM Paul Wang explained: 'China's large and rapidly advancing media industry requires the world's most advanced and reliable measurement systems. Both China's media industry and Beijing's broadcasters have shown the foresight to take full advantage of the PPM system. Data from the test will drive new insights into how audiences interact with the radio medium.'

In 2006, Arbitron released audience data which claimed that its PPM 'consistently captures more listeners to sporting events on radio, especially those with afternoon and early-evening start times' (www.mrweb.com/drno/news5763.htm ).

The PPM was first used in a commercial audience measurement panel for VRT in Belgium, and has tracked TV and radio since 2003. In 2008 it will be used for radio currency in Denmark (www.mrweb.com/drno/news6959.htm ), and as TV and radio currency in Iceland (www.mrweb.com/drno/news6672.htm ).

In the US in 2007, PPM will be used as the radio currency in three markets - Houston, Philadelphia and New York, and in 2008, an additional nine markets are scheduled to begin use. The firm plans to roll out PPM for radio to the top 50 markets in the US by 2010.

Web sites: www.csm.com.cn , www.tnsglobal.com , www.ctrchina.cn and www.arbitron.com.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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