Arbitron announces Cross-Platform Media Measurement Group.

Arbitron Inc. announced the formation of a Cross-Platform media measurement group and the complementary expansion of its executive management team. By establishing this group, which brings together product development, sales and product management, Arbitron is taking a significant step in leveraging its Portable People Meter (PPM) technologies beyond its traditional radio business.

Industry veteran Pierre Bouvard has been charged with driving Arbitron’s cross-platform strategy as Executive Vice President, Cross-Platform Services. By leveraging PPM technology and domestic and international partnerships, Arbitron plans to capture an integrated view of the modern consumer media experience — bridging the measurement gap amongst television, radio, Internet, mobile and placed-based media. Bouvard’s team will develop the cross-platform media measurement strategy, define key offerings and take them to the marketplace.

Arbitron’s innovative PPM technology is an electronic solution that detects embedded signals within any audio stream that has been encoded. The PPM technology is uniquely mobile and platform-agnostic and is capable of providing single-source cross-platform media measurement at the consumer level.

“Arbitron PPM technology provides a unique method for tracking consumer-level exposure across numerous platforms and media,” said Arbitron Chief Executive Officer Michael Skarzynski. “By establishing this group, we believe that we can more effectively operate at the speed and scale required to succeed in this dynamic media marketplace.”

Carol Hanley has been promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Sales Officer, reporting to Skarzynski. As a member of the executive team, Hanley will focus on sales of Arbitron services to radio, agency and advertiser customers.

“Carol Hanley is a recognized leader in the radio industry and has for the past three years been recognized by Radio Ink magazine as one of the ‘50 Most Influential Women in Radio’,” stated Skarzynski. “Carol has the trust and confidence of our customer base and is a valuable member of the Arbitron team. We are fortunate to have someone of Carol’s caliber take the helm of our sales organization.”

“We believe this cross-platform media measurement initiative is a natural extension of our existing services and will help generate more comprehensive insights into our customers’ total audience,” concluded Skarzynski. “Arbitron has invested in maintaining its leadership position by delivering high quality media measurement services, and we will continue to strive to obtain Media Rating Council accreditation across our radio markets.”