COLUMBIA, Md., July 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) announced today that it has commercialized its Portable People Meter(TM) radio ratings service in the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood, Florida market and is releasing radio audience estimates for the June 2009 PPM(TM) survey month to its subscribers in Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood.
Effective today, the PPM radio audience estimates for this market may be used as the basis for buy/sell transactions of radio commercial time among subscribing stations, agencies and advertisers. In addition, the April and May PPM survey months, which Arbitron had previously released as "pre-currency" information, are now designated as "currency" data. The Winter 2009 diary-based radio audience report (January 8 - April 1, 2009) has been retired and is no longer deemed "currency" for buy/sell transactions.
"We are commercializing our Portable People Meter radio ratings service in Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood in order to meet our obligations to our customers and to the radio industry at large," said Michael Skarzynski, Arbitron Chief Executive Officer and President.
"The industry needs current estimates of the radio audience in the nation's largest markets to facilitate an efficient buy-sell process for radio advertising," continued Skarzynski. "Our goal with the commercialization of the PPM is to help radio remain competitive in an increasingly challenging media marketplace."
About the Portable People Meter
The Arbitron Portable People Meter system uses a passive audience measurement device - about the size of a small cell phone - to track consumer exposure to media and entertainment, including broadcast, cable and satellite television; terrestrial, satellite and online radio as well as cinema advertising and many types of place-based electronic media. Carried throughout the day by randomly selected survey participants, the PPM device can track when and where they watch television, listen to radio as well as how they interact with other forms of media and entertainment.
The PPM detects inaudible codes embedded in the audio portion of media and entertainment content delivered by broadcasters, content providers and distributors. At the end of the day, the meter is placed in a docking station that extracts the codes and sends them to a central computer. The PPM is equipped with a motion sensor, a patented quality control feature unique to the system, which allows Arbitron to confirm the compliance of the PPM survey participants every day.
About Arbitron Inc.
Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) is a media and marketing research firm serving the media - radio, television, cable, online radio and out-of-home - as well as advertisers and advertising agencies.
