Knowledge

followthemedia.com - a knowledge base for media professionals

ftm News From You

News From You

We receive dozens of news tips and press releases each week from ftm contributors. We want MORE. And we want to share the raw information as quickly as possible. NEWS FROM YOU is the forum for adding what you know to what we know. Share what you know...or what your hear. We will apply the light-touch of the editors axe for clarity. We will also accept NEWS FROM YOU in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and Portuguese...without translation. (We do insist on being able to understand what you contribute.) You also must clearly indicate that your contribution is for publication in NEWS FROM YOU.

Please note: we cannot use PDF files, only text and .doc files.

Send us NEWS FROM YOU

Week ending November 18, 2006

Arbitron Updates Portable People Meter Rollout Schedule for 2007 – November 16, 2006

from Jessica Benbow/Arbitron

Arbitron Inc. announced an update to the rollout schedule for the Portable People MeterTM ratings service that it previously released in March 2006.

The updated schedule calls for Arbitron to initiate electronic measurement in Philadelphia in January 2007. The Fall 2006 diary-based ratings report would be the “currency” in the market until the release of the March 2007 PPM ratings report. The January 2007 and February 2007 PPM radio ratings reports would be released as demonstration data.

In New York, along with Nassau-Suffolk and Middlesex-Somerset-Union, the two year-round radio markets embedded in the New York radio metro, Arbitron would initiate electronic measurement in October 2007. The Summer 2007 diary-based ratings reports would be the “currency” in the market until the release of the December 2007 PPM radio ratings report. The October 2007 and November 2007 PPM radio ratings report would be released as demonstration data.

In Los Angeles and Riverside-San Bernardino, Arbitron would initiate electronic measurement in January 2008. The Fall 2007 diary-based ratings report would be the “currency” in the market until the release of the March 2008 PPM radio ratings report. The January 2008 and February 2008 PPM radio ratings reports would be released as demonstration data.

Houston, which has been Arbitron’s radio and television demonstration market for the Portable People Meter since mid-2005, would switch from diaries to PPM-based ratings after Arbitron obtains Media Rating Council® (MRC) accreditation for that market.

“The updated schedule we are announcing today balances our commitment to the MRC process, the demands of our PPM customers, and the recent recommendations of our station and agency advisory councils,” said Steve Morris, president and chief executive officer, Arbitron Inc.

“Arbitron is committed to having MRC accreditation of all PPM markets. We have further committed to achieving accreditation prior to commercialization of the PPM service in Houston. That commitment for Houston remains. We understand that, while accreditation was not granted at the November 15 MRC PPM audit committee meeting, the list of question areas has now been narrowed to two. We will be working with the MRC to address those issues as quickly as possible.

“Beyond Houston, we believe we have a critical mass of radio broadcaster support today in Philadelphia, New York and Los Angeles. Together with an overwhelming number of agencies and advertisers, these broadcasters are urging us to begin the commercialization of the PPM ratings service as soon as possible. To that end, once we complete the independent MRC audit for Philadelphia and subsequent markets, illuminate the audit results with a report to the MRC audit committee and provide time for customers to review the impact on their business of PPM data as compared to diary data, we would then commercialize the PPM ratings service in each market. We would, of course, continue to pursue MRC accreditation after a market is commercialized,” said Mr. Morris.

In response to recent recommendations made by the Arbitron Radio Advisory Council and the Advertiser/Agency Advisory Council, the new rollout schedule is designed to:

• Allow subscribing stations and agencies to get the full value of their final diary-based ratings report;

• Ensure that there is only one “currency” for the buying and selling of radio advertising by eliminating any overlap in the use of PPM-based and diary-based ratings;

• Provide two individual months of PPM-based ratings before eliminating diary measurement to allow users to understand the differences between the two methods in each market; and

• Give radio stations and agencies more time to train their sales and buying staffs on how to do business in an electronically measured marketplace.

Preparing stations and agencies for a PPM-measured radio marketplace

Arbitron is finalizing an expanded PPM training program that builds on the on-site and online training options that have been available to stations and agencies for the past 18 months. Plans for expanding the program—which includes addition market-specific training opportunities, dedicated training teams, incentives and other tools for engaging and reaching broadcasters—will be presented to the radio and agency advisory councils later in November for further industry input.

“Our Advisory Council asked Arbitron to give the industry specific dates for the rollout of PPM and to help train the industry on how best to use PPM ratings. We are encouraged by the industry’s interest and commitment to further PPM training, and we welcome the opportunity to move the industry into the implementation stages of PPM. There has been a very clear call to action for both stations and agencies, and we hope the industry will embrace it,” said Pierre Bouvard, president, Sales and Marketing, Arbitron Inc.

BBC re-launches its 24-hour English FM station in Cambodia - November 16, 2006

from Christine George/BBC World Service

Listeners in Phnom Penh, Cambodia can now hear BBC World Service programmes in English in crystal clear quality, 24 hours a day, seven days a week thanks to the re-launch of the FM station, BBC 100 FM.

Michel Lobelle, Head of Business Development for the Asia and Pacific region, BBC World Service said: “We are delighted to be re-launching the BBC 100 FM station in Phnom Penh. It has been available in the country since 1997 but a new transmitter in a central location in the city means an enhanced quality of broadcasts. BBC programmes can now be heard in crystal clear quality up to 60 km outside Phnom Penh. English is now more widely spoken in the capital and we hope to gain many new listeners for our unique mix of news, sports and feature programmes.”

BBC 100 FM broadcasts a range of programmes from health and sport to business and music. They include the BBC’s flagship programme Newshour, which is 60 minutes of news and analysis of the day's top stories from the BBC's most experienced correspondents, Outlook, which brings human interest stories from across the globe, and World, Have Your Say - the daily multimedia interactive phone-in programme encouraging people across the world to question experts and leading international figures in the news. BBC news bulletins will be available every half hour through the day.