Arbitron Reworks PPM Schedule

Ratings giant Arbitron has updated the schedule for rollout of its PPM (Portable People Meter), with some markets brought forward for commercialization, and others pushed back.

A couple of weeks ago, anticipating a lawsuit from New York's Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Arbitron brought its rollout date forward for eight new markets by two days. Now, facing possible opposition in other markets, Arbitron has moved other scheduled rollouts.

Kansas City, San Antonio, Salt Lake City and Las Vegas have been brought forward, and are now scheduled to commercialise in December 2009. Originally these markets were due to go live in March 2010, and now their final diary-based survey will take place in summer 2009.

However, commercialization in Milwaukee, Charlotte, Columbus, Providence and Orlando will now take place with the release of the September 2010 PPM survey report in October; from the previous schedule of the release of the June 2010 PPM report. The final diary-based report for these markets will now be for the spring 2010 survey.

Opponents of the PPM say it undercounts minority listeners, and this is the basis for two lawsuits - one by Cuomo, and the other by New Jersey's Attorney General Anne Milgram.

In September, newly appointed President Barack Obama also joined calls for a delay in the launch of PPM by writing to Arbitron's President and CEO Stephen Morris to express his concerns.

In an attempt to dispel opposition, Arbitron has released a summary of its sample-quality metrics for the October PPM survey, saying that across nine markets, it exceeded its 6 years+ sample target by 12%, its 18-54 target by 8%, its black 6+ sample target by 13%, and its Hispanic 6+ target by 23%. In the Hispanic Spanish sample, Arbitron said it beat its target by 43%.

Web site: 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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