Radio Broadcasters investing to support Smart Cell.

The Media Audit and, Ipsos, announced that they are investing substantially in taking the next major step in their bid to win the US electronic radio ratings contract. The Media Audit/Ipsos made a commitment to conduct a full market study of its media measurement system using the Smart Cell Phone. The study is to be conducted in Houston. It will include a panel of 2,500 respondents (aged 12 + ), who utilize a cell phone that monitors radio listening.

An initial core of five of the nation’s nine largest radio broadcasters, representing more than 25% of all radio revenue, have agreed to support The Media Audit/Ipsos media measurement initiative financially. It is expected that several more major radio broadcasters will join the initial group of Clear Channel, Cox, Cumulus, Entercom and Radio One during the next several weeks.

This announcement comes a year after an industry committee of radio broadcasters and major advertising agencies, selected The Media Audit/Ipsos as one of three finalists bidding for the US radio measurement contract.

“We have been studying electronic media measurement for several years” commented Bob Jordan, president of The Media Audit.
“Getting people to cooperate in a panel is critical for reliable and credible research. We conducted extensive surveys and tests that indicated the cell phone was by far the preferable monitoring device. Recent developments with the Smart Cell Phone meant that we were able to take advantage of cell phone technology for an advanced monitoring system. Our studies show that the cell phone will dramatically improve the accuracy of the information being collected. We are working with Verizon and Cingular (AT&T) right now and expect to cut agreements with Sprint/Nextel and T-Mobile in the very near future.”

“Aside from stronger respondent cooperation, The Media Audit/Ipsos Smart Cell Phone solution has many competitive advantages” noted Jim Higginbotham, Chairman and head of research at The Media Audit. “Advertisers and their ad agencies want multi-media measurement so they can see radio in the context of the multi-media environment and that is what the Smart Cell Phone system will deliver. Richard Silman CEO of Ipsos Media Research worldwide explained how the system works: “It picks up radio exposure based on a code inserted into the broadcast signals of radio and TV stations as well as cable
networks. The monitored signals are then transmitted in virtual real time to a data center where the data is cleaned, edited and then made available to subscribers.”

Advertisers and their advertising agencies have been looking to the radio industry to lead the way in electronic
audience measurements.

In this regard, The Media Audit/Ipsos will roll its media measurement system into the top 50 markets by the end of 2009. The top 10 markets can be installed by the end of 2008. “This is an aggressive roll out schedule; however Ipsos is uniquely suited to implement it” said Silman. “Ipsos owns one of the largest panel recruitment centers in America.”