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Maryland Agreement for Arbitron
Arbitron has announced an agreement with the Office of the Attorney General of Maryland regarding its Portable People Meter (PPM) services in Washington D.C. and Baltimore.
The radio ratings giant will undertake a number of actions which it says are consistent with its ongoing continuous improvement programs for the PPM service. The service was commercialized in Washington D.C. on December 31, 2008.
President and CEO Michael Skarzynski says the deal 'further indicates that Arbitron is proceeding along the appropriate course as we commercialize PPM in the top radio markets.'
The agreement for Washington includes use of a combination of telephone-based and addressed-based sampling methods to recruit panellists; an increase in cell-phone-only sampling; taking all reasonable measures to ensure minimum Sample Performance Indicator (SPI) and average in-tab rates for persons age 6 and older, with allowed ranges for subcategories of the radio population; provision of monthly reports of sample sizes by individual zip code for subscribers in the area; pursuit of MRC accreditation; and inclusion of a disclaimer on written promotional material and web sites.
Arbitron has agreed to follow similar rules for the commercialization of the PPM service in Baltimore, currently scheduled for the autumn of this year - with details to be agreed later.
The company recently settled suits with the Attorneys General of New York and New Jersey, who had claimed that PPM ratings misrepresent minority listenership. For today's terms in more detail, see the Arbitron press room at www.onlinepressroom.net/arbitron .
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