Arbitron Listening by People Living in Cell-Phone-Only Households.

Arbitron announced findings of a new research study into the listening habits of people whose use cell phones exclusively and do not have a conventional landline telephone in their households.

The company also announced that it plans to begin including cell-phone-only households in radio diary surveys starting in 2008.

The latest study found that individuals who rely exclusively on cell phones have different listening patterns than those who live in households that have wired landline telephones. The study also indicates that, given the relatively small percentage of cell-phone-only households today, there is currently no statistically significant impact on listening estimates when cell-only individuals are included in an Arbitron sample along with landline households.

Listening behavior of individuals in cell-phone-only households

The Arbitron study shows the following differences between people who are cell-only and people who can be reached via landline.

People with cell-phone-only are more likely to:

– live in homes with fewer people;
– be age 18-24 and 25-34;
– listen to more radio, and;
– listen to radio formats which appeal to these age groups (Alternative, AOR, CHR and Country)

Impact of cell-phone-only households on radio listening

Arbitron examined the impact on radio audience estimates of including a cell-only sample along with the current Arbitron sample of people who are reached via landline.

While no definitive estimates for cell-only population exist today, the recent National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) estimates that approximately seven percent (7%) of the population is cell phone only.

The Arbitron study assumed a 10% figure for the population that can be reached only via cell phone (a higher incidence than indicated by the NHIS estimates.) When the listening behavior of cell-phone-only respondents was included (at the assumed 10% penetration level) with the listening behavior of land line households, the results showed no statistical difference in listening levels by format among persons 12+ or persons 18-34 compared to a sample composed of landline households.

Plan to introduce cell-phone-only households into radio surveys

“While this latest study indicates that including cell-phone-only households would currently have only a slight effect on radio estimates, Arbitron does expect that the incidence of cell-phone-only households will continue to grow. Therefore, we are announcing today that Arbitron will begin introducing cell-phone-only households into our radio surveys starting in 2008,” said Owen Charlebois, president, Operations, Technology, Research and Development, Arbitron Inc. “Including people who can only be reached by cell phone in our sample is going to become more important and we intend to be proactive about it. It’s a very big undertaking and we are committed to doing it right.”

To view study CLICK below:

http://www.arbitron.com/downloads/cellphone021606.pdf