Chinese Radio Listening.

Arbitron Inc. will survey the radio listening of Chinese-American consumers using bilingual Chinese-English diaries in the Los Angeles and New York metropolitan radio markets in Winter 2005. This is the first time the company will use the Chinese-language version of its standard radio diary to track the listening habits of Chinese-Americans. The study will be done on behalf of Multicultural Radio Broadcasting, Inc.

The study will take place during the Winter 2005 Arbitron survey period (January 6-March 30, 2005) among Chinese-speaking consumers, age 12 and older, in the Los Angeles and New York radio metros. Each survey will have in-tab samples of 500 Chinese-speaking individuals.

“The advertising community has been asking for more information on Asian marketing and Asian media measurement,” said Pierre Bouvard, President, New Ventures, Arbitron. “This study presents a unique opportunity to help the advertising community better understand the media habits of Chinese-Americans and ultimately better target these consumers.”

There are currently 407,800 Chinese-Americans age 12+ living in the Los Angeles, representing 3.8 percent of Los Angeles’ total population. In New York, there are 564,500 Chinese-Americans age 12+, representing 3.7 percent of New York’s total population. Arbitron population estimates for the Winter 2005 Chinese-diary survey were prepared by Third Wave Research, a demographic research company.

There are three Chinese-language radio stations in the Los Angeles area and one in the New York metropolitan area. Currently, Arbitron tracks the consumer, lifestyle and media habits of all Asian Americans through its Scarborough Research joint venture with VNU, Inc.

How the Chinese Language Diary Study Will Work For most households, the first contact will be a bilingual (English/Chinese) pre-alert postcard. The remaining households will be contacted first by phone. Interviews will be conducted in either English or Chinese based on the preference of the interviewee. All persons 12+ in eligible households will be asked to take part in the one-week survey. However, only those persons identified as Chinese speaking will be included in the final estimates.

The respondents will then receive the Arbitron survey and easy-to-follow instructions by mail. The diary and all ancillary materials will be bilingual (Chinese/English). Respondents will use a Chinese/English version of the diary currently used in the Los Angeles and New York syndicated Arbitron service.

Arbitron will process all data according to the policies for the syndicated radio measurement service, with the additional ability to handle written Chinese entries.

Radio listening data will be projected to the marketplace based on estimates of the Chinese-speaking Chinese population in the Los Angeles and New York radio metros.

The data will be released following the delivery of the Winter 2005 syndicated Arbitron market reports. The study will be available for purchase by advertisers, agencies and broadcasters.