Arbitron Speeds Up Cellphone-Only Plan

Ratings giant Arbitron has accelerated plans to introduce cellphone-only sampling to all diary markets by 2009.

Assuming the company can complete development of the necessary software, it will initially introduce cellphone-only sampling to 151 markets by next Spring, and to all other markets (except Puerto Rico) by the Fall. It expects to confirm these plans by late February.

In the summer, Arbitron announced its intention to move towards recruiting more cellphone-only households, and by October it had brought forward those plans to include 50 diary markets by Spring 2009 and a total of 125 markets by the Fall.

'The number of households that can be reached only by cellphone is growing rapidly and these households are more likely to include persons between the ages of 18 and 34,' stated Owen Charlebois, President, Technology and R&D. 'By including cellphone-only homes in the sample frame we will be better able to improve young adult proportionality in diary markets.'

Arbitron plans to use an address-based sample frame as the foundation of its cellphone-only sample, while maintaining the random-digit-dial (RDD) sample frame for landline households.

After all metro markets have cellphone sampling, Arbitron expects to review options for expanding cellphone-only sampling to the non-metro counties that are included in the RADAR, Nationwide and County Coverage reports.

The introduction of cellphone-only sampling in diary markets has the support of The Radio Advisory Council and the Media Rating Council, among others, according to President of Sales and Marketing Pierre Bouvard.

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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