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Week ending April 21, 2007

Iceland Selects Arbitron Portable People Meter to Measure Both Radio and Television Audience – April 16, 2007

from Thom Mocarsky/ Arbitron

Arbitron Inc. announced today that leading broadcasters in Iceland have selected the Arbitron Portable People MeterTM system as the audience measurement currency system for both radio and television. This makes Iceland the first country to take full advantage of the PPM system’s multimedia measurement capabilities.

The six-year contract was awarded to the Reykjavik-based research and consulting firm Capacent, supported by TNS Norway. TNS already provides currency measurement for the radio industry in Norway using the PPM and has licensed the use of the PPM system to Capacent. TNS will support the set-up and ongoing running of the audience measurement panel by Capacent.

The contract with Iceland’s major TV and radio broadcasters was awarded through a competitive RFP for electronic audience measurement. The PPM technology, which was evaluated in field trial in Iceland, was selected over a “wristwatch meter” system proposed by Swiss-based Telecontrol, a GfK subsidiary.

“We are extremely gratified that Iceland’s broadcasters have the foresight to take full advantage of the PPM system’s ability to deliver multimedia audience estimates from a single panel,” said Pierre Bouvard, Arbitron president, Sales and Marketing. “With multimedia data from the PPM panel, broadcasters and advertisers can gain new insights into how their audiences use and flow between both media.”

“TNS has world-class expertise in TV audience measurement and the decision by Capacent to use PPM in this tender played a key role in the successful outcome,” said Andrea Mezzasalma, TNS Global Sector Head for iTRAM (Internet, TV and Radio Measurement). “We are excited that this contract secures a world first in that it will use the same panel to collect both television and radio audience data as the official currency. TNS and Arbitron have been working together to promote the PPM internationally since 2000.”

Hafsteinn Már Einarsson, Capacent's director of Market Research Development and Corporate Communication, said, “We're delighted about getting the contract and wish to thank TNS Norway and Arbitron USA for their help and support in the long and extensive selection process. We're excited to start using Arbitron's PPM system in Iceland and look forward to continued great co-operation with our partners at TNS Norway.”

Jørn Y. Leipart, director of iTRAM at TNS Gallup in Norway said, “In recent years, TV and radio audience measurement in Iceland has been based on panel members keeping weekly diaries. The new technology will provide significantly enhanced information about Icelandic TV and radio audiences.”

This announcement continues a highly successful phase in the adoption of PPM on a commercial basis around the world. PPM was first used in a commercial audience measurement panel for VRT in Belgium, tracking TV and radio since 2003. The PPM system has been used for TV currency ratings in Montreal and Quebec since 2004. In 2006, PPM was adopted as radio currency in Norway and as TV currency in Kazakhstan.

Also in 2006, RAJAR, the radio research consortium in the UK, in concert with BARB, the TV research consortium, awarded TNS with a contract for a PPM research and development panel in London. The RAJAR award was the result of a four-year competitive evaluation process that included assessments of the Media Audit/IPSOS “Smart Cell Phone” meter, the GfK “wristwatch” meter and the Eurisko Media Monitor system.

In the United States, Arbitron is establishing PPM measurement in the top 50 radio markets, starting in Philadelphia, with first currency ratings report being issued at the end of April.

Intendantin Monika Piel protestiert gegen willkürliche Angriffe auf ARD/WDR-Fernsehteam in St. Petersburg – April 16, 2007

from Sabine Moldrings/WDR

In einem Brief an den russischen Botschafter Vladimir V. Kotenev hat WDR-Intendantin Monika Piel gegen die willkürlichen Angriffe auf das ARD/WDR-Fernsehteam am gestrigen Sonntag in St. Petersburg und die damit verbundene massive Einschränkung der Berichterstattung in aller Form protestiert. Sie bat Kotenev, den Vorgängen nachzugehen und sicherzustellen, dass die ARD-Mitarbeiterinnen und -Mitarbeiter in Russland künftig uneingeschränkt ihre Arbeit tun können.

Während der gestrigen Demonstration war das Moskauer ARDTeam von russischer Spezialpolizei angegriffen, getreten und geschlagen worden. Bei den Auseinandersetzungen wurde der Tontechniker Wenjamin Sacharow zu Boden geworfen und ARDKorrespondent Stefan Stuchlik getreten und mit einem harten Gegenstand an Schläfe und Ohr geschlagen. Auch auf Hinweise, dass es sich um einen Korrespondenten des Deutschen Fernsehens handele, reagierten die Polizisten nicht.

Als ARD-Federführer für das Studio Moskau forderte Piel den russischen Botschafter dazu auf, solche Einschüchterungsversuche gegenüber Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeitern des Deutschen Fernsehen in Zukunft zu unterlassen. „Sie widersprechen allen internationalen Standards und Abmachungen über die Arbeit der Presse und der Massenmedien“, so Piel. „Zu keiner Zeit haben unser Korrespondent oder andere Mitglieder des Teams die Sicherheitskräfte zu diesen Gewaltanwendungen provoziert. Deshalb weisen wir auch den Vorwurf der „unbotmäßigen Beobachtung der Sicherheitskräfte“ als absurd zurück.“

Piel beschwerte sich in ihrem Brief zudem über die Schikanen, denen das ARD/WDR-Team am heutigen Montagmorgen, 16. April, im Fernsehzentrum MIR St. Petersburg erneut ausgesetzt wurde. Dabei hatten Mitarbeiter des Geheimdienstes FSB das ARD-Team durchsucht und ihm zeitweise gültige Dokumente entzogen. Offensichtlich sollte dadurch ein Schaltgespräch zum ARDMorgenmagazin verhindert werden.