Arbitron Spring 2009 Diary Survey advances Sample Quality.

Arbitron Inc. announced that the samples for its Spring 2009 Diary Local Market Report met or exceeded several key quality metrics that the company established as part of its continuous improvement program. The enhancements implemented through the Spring 2009 Diary survey included improved cell-phone-only (CPO) sampling and increased Diary sample benchmarks for Persons 18-54 and 18-34.

“Arbitron remains strongly committed to the Diary markets we serve and to our program of continuous improvement for our Diary service,” Skarzynski continued. “We are delivering solid increases above previous surveys and are raising the bar at the completion of each new improvement.”

Cell-phone-only Sample Delivered

Arbitron achieved its target of delivering a sample containing at least 10 percent CPO households across 151 local markets in the Spring 2009 survey. By the Fall 2009 survey, Arbitron plans to include CPO households in all 288 Diary markets in the continental US, Hawaii, and Alaska.

Diary market benchmarks

Starting with the Fall 2008 survey, Arbitron established an annual sample quality benchmark for Persons aged 18-54 in all Diary markets equal to a Designated Delivery Index (DDI) of 80. Beginning with the Spring 2009 survey, Arbitron established an annual sample quality benchmark for Persons aged 18-34 in all Diary markets equal to a DDI of 70. Beginning with the thirteenth month after implementation, the 18-34 DDI benchmark will be 80.

Arbitron uses sample quality benchmarks to gauge sample performance and to indicate the levels below which it would plan to implement measures designed to improve sample performance.

The overall sample for the Spring 2009 survey included an average DDI of 88 for Persons 18-54 across all markets, 8 points above the 80 DDI benchmark. The overall sample for the survey included an average DDI of 70 for Persons 18-34 across all markets, meeting the benchmark.

18-54 in CPO Markets

Out of the 151 markets with CPO sampling for the Spring 2009 survey, 100 percent of 37 four-book markets and nearly 90 percent of two-book markets exceeded the company’s 18-54 sample target benchmark of 80 DDI.

18-34 in CPO Markets

CPO sampling increased 18-34 DDI by 25 percent in the overall Spring 2009 sample:

Seventy-six percent of the 37 four-book markets exceeded the 70 DDI benchmark;

Fifty percent of the 42 two-book markets exceeded the benchmark; and

Fifty-four percent of the two-book average markets exceeded the benchmark.

“Arbitron is committed to reinforcing the quality of our diary market samples and providing our customers with enhanced confidence in our ratings currency,” said Michael Skarzynski, Chief Executive Officer and President, Arbitron Inc. “We believe we are achieving those objectives through the impact of more timely and relevant data releases, and the delivery of sample quality target metrics in our Media Rating Council accredited diary service.”

Arbitron calculates DDI by dividing the actual sample size for a given demographic group by its target sample size for that demographic group. A DDI of 100 means the actual sample size equals the sample target for a given survey period.