ALL ACCESS has obtained a copy of a letter sent to ARBITRON, and signed by CLEAR CHANNEL RADIO, CUMULUS MEDIA, COX RADIO and RADIO ONE INC. In it, the companies urge ARBITRON to address several issues that have been highlighted in NET NEWS.
Here's the text of that letter:
November 14, 2007
Mr. Steve Morris
Mr. Pierre Bouvard
Mr. Owen Charlebois
The Arbitron Company
142 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019
Gentlemen,
It is with the utmost urgency and objection that we, your customers, send you this letter.
All of us have been vocal supporters of the concept of electronic measurement in radio for several years, and we remain committed to the need for accurate, high quality electronic ratings as a way to program and sell our stations. As of this writing, the PPM system has been implemented in two markets for several months, with one month of information available in New York. To date, PPM has not provided accurate or reliable data for all demographic groups.
We are calling on you to take immediate action to resolve this.
The most immediate issue is sample size, especially with regard to 18-34 year olds and ethnic groups. The situation is clear: To secure a legitimate representation of listener activity, the number of people participating in the PPM survey must be increased.
Your recent proposal to lower the number of market-level respondents needed to issue a valid report for a specific demographic is both specious and dangerous. This proposal could result in some stations doing business based on the activity of as few as a single -- one -- listener. Your own researchers have concluded that such a sample size has a greater range of error than the size of the estimate.
There are many ethical and sound business choices that can be made by Arbitron here. One is to eliminate the 6-11 portion of the sample and reallocate those meters to participants in other demographics based on a 12+ population.
Under any circumstance, we expect guaranteed in-tab delivery in the 18-54 age group for all age cells and across all ethnic groups, including Hispanics and African Americans.
Please be aware that this is a critical and immediate issue for your customers undersigned and we are expecting an action plan to correct these matters within 30 days.
Urgently,
Clear Channel Radio -- Cumulus Media -- Cox Radio -- Radio One Inc.
When contacted by ALL ACCESS, ARBITRON had "no comment at this time."
"We are the CC Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your broadcast stations. We will add your biological and creative distinctiveness to our own. Your broadcast personality will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile."
Arbitron President/CEO Steve Morris responded to the four major groups over their sampling concerns on Monday. In a letter to Cumulus President/CEO Lew Dickey, Clear Channel Radio President/CEO John Hogan, Radio One President/CEO Alfred Liggins and Cox Radio CEO Bob Neil, Morris said the four groups raise "important points that are clearly fundamental to having a currency that commands the respect and support of broadcasters and advertisers."
"Over the last few years, as PPM has been brought through its long testing process, many of these issues have been extensively discussed, and trade-offs vs. cost debated," Morris wrote. "It seems clear from your letter, however, that we need to go back and revisit previous assumptions about how the service is to be built, and to make sure that we are doing this in a way that serves your needs."
Morris says President of Sales & Marketing Pierre Bouvard will contact each of the group heads to hear directly from CEO requires in a new service, and how each CEO would rebalance the trade-offs. (11-19-07)
"We are the CC Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your broadcast stations. We will add your biological and creative distinctiveness to our own. Your broadcast personality will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile."
Morris says President of Sales & Marketing Pierre Bouvard will contact each of the group heads to hear directly (what each) CEO requires in a new service and how each CEO would rebalance the trade-offs.
Two of those CEOs are thinking, "Finally! About da-- time!"
Two of those CEOs are thinking, "Oh, sh--.......who's gonna prep me??? Gotta tell my assistant not to put that call through until then!"
"I don't know the same things you don't know."
"Yes, you do; you just won't admit it!"
"Yeeee...it looks like a 'Belt Buckle & Ball Cap' convention in here......"
just a little something i found on the subject this morning.
i think this pretty much sums it all up
[quote="Kevin Carter from R&R Street Talk Daily"]Neil, along with CC’s John Hogan, Cumulus honcho Lew Dickey and Radio One’s Alfred Liggins, were unhappy with what they see as undersampling for PPM panels and sent a letter to Arbitron President/CEO Steve Morris. Morris replied earlier this week, offering to “personally meetâ€
Arbitron Advisory Council Chairman and Cox Radio/Greenville VP/GM Steve Sinicropi (pictured) is taking issue with published comments by Arbitron Senior VP/Press & Investor Relations Thom Mocarsky. Sinicropi says that Arbitron is attempting to "rewrite history," in an effort to deflect the responsibility for its PPM performance predicament from Arbitron to the Arbitron Advisory Council.
"In particular, radio broadcasters and the Advisory Council were most influential in discussions that took place once we first proposed our 'radio first' rollout schedule in the summer of 2006," Mocarsky told Radio Business Report. "As a direct result of those discussions with clients we sped up the full course of the proposed implementation schedule by 18 months and moved New York and LA to the top of the rollout list," he said, adding, "We had originally proposed that we get a few more markets under our belt before we tackled New York and L.A."
Sinicropi says the council demanded MRC accreditation for PPM prior to rollout of Houston as currency. "Because of the differences in methodology for all markets other than Houston, the Council asked for MRC accreditation in Philadelphia prior to release as currency," he said. "Arbitron unilaterally decided that an MRC audit was satisfactory for Philadelphia prior to release as currency." Arbitron has since completed its MRC audit for Philadelphia, and New York is scheduled to be completed this month.
He also noted that Arbitron added persons 6-11 to the PPM universe against the recommendation of the Advisory Council. "We continuously questioned the need for children and the potential negative effects on sample counts in other cells and the percentages of audience below 12+," he said, adding that the Council has discussed ways to move sample from 55+ and children to the sales demos.
In conclusion, Sinicropi maintains that "Arbitron's ongoing difficulties reaching sample targets they set, promised and sold as the responsibility of the Advisory Council is absurd. Arbitron needs to set the bar higher not lower with electronic measurement. It is Arbitron's responsibility to deliver an accredited ratings service that delivers the targets they set and we need." (11-21-07)
"We are the CC Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your broadcast stations. We will add your biological and creative distinctiveness to our own. Your broadcast personality will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile."
