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Another Week, Another PPM Investigation?
In the US, Arbitron has responded to the news that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is being asked to join the rush to investigate the impact of the PPM, by reiterating that it 'welcomes every opportunity to discuss the PPM technology, service and our sampling methodology.'
Yesterday the web site of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary indicated that ten members of Congress had requested the GAO to study the PPM and its 'effect on advertising revenue streams for radio stations.'
The ten, led by Committee Chairman John Conyers, wrote to the GAO's Acting Head Gene Dodaro to request an investigation into the long-running dispute. The FCC is already looking into the effects of the device and associated sampling methodology, despite Arbitron's assertion that it has no authority to do so.
In the letter to Dodaro, the ten acknowledge that 'Arbitron is attempting to accurately account for all listenership' but stress that they 'want to ensure that the use of the PPM is in fact counting all populations accurately.' The GAO's remit only allows it to examine use of public funds but the letter argues this is appropriate because federal agencies like the FCC make use of Arbitron data.
In its statement, Arbitron added: 'We continue to have a dialogue with key members of Congress as well as other interested parties, and look forward to helping the radio industry as a whole remain competitive in the current media marketplace.'
Web site: www.arbitron.com .
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