Arbitron unveils Reliability Calculators for Diary and PPM Data.

Arbitron Inc. announced the release of two new reliability calculators for both diary and PPM radio estimates.

A new feature of eBook enables users of Arbitron radio ratings, whether diary or PPM-based, to quickly gauge the estimated statistical reliability of audience estimates for published demos and dayparts.

The new PPM GRP Reliability Calculator estimates the margin of error for Gross Rating Points (GRPs) of radio advertising schedules in PPM markets.

“Industry leaders Jerry Lee of WBEB-FM and John Dickey of Cumulus both deserve recognition for championing the idea of making it far easier to estimate the margin of error of Gross Rating Points in PPM schedules and individual radio station estimates in both PPM and diary markets,” said Pierre Bouvard, president, Sales and Marketing, Arbitron Inc.

The reliability of a survey estimate is generally defined in terms of the estimated margin of sampling error around the estimate, or confidence interval. The confidence interval describes the extent to which a survey estimate, based on a random sample of the universe, may vary from the result that would be obtained through a complete census.

eBook Reliability Calculator

Arbitron has recently added a Standard Error Calculator to the Audience Estimates Reliability section of its Web-based eBook for every market. The new feature will estimate the standard error for any Arbitron audience rating published in eBook.

A subscriber can select the parameters of the rating they wish to evaluate (e.g. geography, estimate type, demographic, and daypart) and the calculator estimates the standard error for that rating. This standard error then can be used to create a confidence interval around the rating.

“We’ve always provided reliability tables in the back of the book, but those tables were cumbersome and required a calculator to estimate the standard error,” said Bouvard. “This feature makes it much easier for clients to estimate the margin of error around the ratings in eBook.”

PPM GRP Reliability Calculator

The GRP Reliability Calculator is a new software program that allows clients to estimate the reliability of GRPs for a schedule in PPM markets. The PPM GRP Reliability Calculator provides an estimate of the margin of error (confidence interval) around GRP estimates of radio schedules.

The user selects the desired confidence interval (90 percent is the default value), the market(s), and the schedule specifications (e.g. target demographic, the daypart in which the spots are scheduled, the number of months, stations, spots and GRPs for the schedule) and the PPM GRP Reliability Calculator estimates the margin of error and confidence interval for the schedule of GRPs.

“The GRP Reliability Calculator makes it easy for buyers and sellers to estimate the margin of error of the total rating points delivered by radio schedules in PPM markets,” said Al Tupek, Chief Statistical Officer, Arbitron Inc. “Now advertisers can have greater insight into the variation of audience delivery in radio schedules that may be associated with the standard error of the ratings.”