Arbitron Advertiser/Agency Advisory Council issues resolution about Encoding and the PPM.

The Arbitron Advertiser/Agency Advisory Council, today announced a resolution regarding the introduction of the Portable People MeterTM and the participation of radio stations in the encoding process.

In 2007, Arbitron will introduce the Portable People Meter (PPMTM) system as the ratings currency for radio in Philadelphia, New York, and Houston, followed by more markets in the ensuing years. Arbitron’s PPM will be providing the ratings information used to make decisions in the buying and selling process of radio airtime and promotions.

The electronic nature of the PPM provides better measurement of radio audiences than is possible with today’s pen and paper diary methodology. This electronic dimension generates a greater level of accountability – something that is absolutely critical to radio’s future.

The Arbitron Agency and Advertiser Advisory Council believes that all radio stations in each of these markets should encode their signals for PPM measurement.

Whether the station elects to subscribe to the service is a decision that is clearly theirs. However, we believe that it is imperative for each station to encode, especially since there is no cost to the station for encoding. This will give advertisers, marketers, agencies, and stations, the ability to understand and better evaluate radio in the new world of electronic measurement.

We encourage all broadcasters in each upcoming PPM market to step forward and embrace the future and electronic measurement by beginning to encode immediately.

This Resolution has been approved and endorsed by the Arbitron Advertiser/Agency Advisory Council whose members are:

Brad Adgate, Research Director, Horizon Media
Mary Barnas, Director of Spot Radio and Spot TV, Carat North America
Joe Caponigro, SVP/Executive Media Director, WestWayne Inc.
Vicky Champlin, Director, Media Planning, Busch Media Group
Julia Chen, Media Director, IW Group
Kathy Crawford, President of Local Broadcast, Mindshare
Jim Elms, Senior VP/Media Director, Barkley Evergreen and Partners
Linda Jefferson, Senior VP/Media Director, Burrell Advertising
Sue Johenning, EVP/Director of Local Broadcast, Initiative
Mark Kaline, Global Media Manager, Ford Motor Company
Larry Kelley, EVP, Director Media/Research, Fogarty, Klein & Monroe
John Maher, SVP, Director of Planning, US International Media
Ken Martin, VP, Group Media Director, Dodge DAA Planning, PHD Los Angeles
Shannon Pederson, Local Media Manager, SFAFT
Kate Sirkin (Lynch), EVP Global Research Director, Starcom Worldwide
Michael Trujillo, VP, Media Planning Director, Casanova Pendrill Publicidad