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Smart Cell Phone Partners Press On with Testing
Audience measurement partners Ipsos and The Media Audit have this week confirmed that they will start installing encoders for their phone-based measurement system in Houston radio stations in December, and will conduct an 'Expert Witness' test the same month, to help validate the methodology.
The two were named in a patent infringement suit filed last month by rival measurement firm Arbitron, which has been proceeding apace with development of its own measurement system the PPM, since the closing of a partnership option by Nielsen in March (www.mrweb.com/drno/news5240.htm ). Arbitron has recently signed up big name clients including CBS to long-term deals (www.mrweb.com/drno/news5524.htm ).
In a joint announcement Bob Jordan, President of The Media Audit and Richard Silman, CEO of Ipsos Media Worldwide, said they were 'fully committed to bringing US radio and the US advertising communities the fairest and most accurate electronic measurement system.' Jordan said the Expert Witness test would be 'a critical step' in the firms' introduction of their measurement system, commenting: 'the current diary measurement system measures 'perceived radio listening' while electronic devices measure 'actual exposure'. The metrics of these two different measurement systems need to be evaluated and documented thoroughly in order to fully evaluate the significance of their differences. We believe the selection of an electronic measurement system is far too important to be made without an 'Expert Witness' test in which both a diary measurement and a metered measurement come from the same respondent in the same test.'
Silman said Ipsos had 'invested a significant amount of time and money in developing the criteria for an ideal media measurement system' and that the Smart Cell Phone system had received 'great interest from around the world.' He added that 'A number of prospective clients have highlighted the power of the cell phone for media measurement by saying it is a 'want to carry device rather than a have to carry device'.'
The Media Audit (www.themediaaudit.com ) is a syndicated service of International Demographics, Inc. IPSOS, which has the contract for radio measurement as well as magazine and newspaper readership measurement in the UK, is online at www.ipsos.com .
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