New PPM Alliance?

As reported recently by WARC, US agency Arbitron and Taylor Nelson Sofres are rumoured to be in advanced discussions concerning a global joint venture to market the Portable People Meter (PPM).

The two companies are already negotiating contracts with industry bodies in Australia and Belgium and are reportedly planning to jointly market the PPM in all countries outside the UK.

Earlier in December Arbitron had announced that it would extend the ratings comparison portion of the Portable People Meter (PPM) market trial in the USA through to March 28, 2003, in order to coincide with the Arbitron Winter 2003 radio survey period and the Nielsen Media Research January, February and March 2003 local market television survey periods.

According to Owen Charlesbois, president US Media at Arbitron, 'This extension of the ratings portion of the trial does not impact our current thinking regarding our schedule leading to the commercialization of the Portable People Meter. Our previously announced response rate test will still take place in the first half of 2003, in parallel with this additional ratings analysis period. Once we refine the PPM sampling methodology through our response rate research, we still intend to use that methodology to build the first of the twin panels, as previously announced, in the latter part of 2003 and the second of the twin panels in 2004.'

Unlike conventional audience measurement systems, the PPM can track its panel's listening or viewing behaviour both within and outside the home. Similar in size to a pager and using wireless technology, the meters automatically detect a unique code embedded in each radio station's broadcast signal. The listening or viewing data is then downloaded overnight by modem.

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

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