Radio

Arbitron Inc. has released the first preliminary radio ratings from the Los Angeles Portable People Meter radio ratings service.

Based on the above article regarding PPM and the key issues brought forth by the Spanish Radio Association (SRA), we took the liberty to calculate the impact on local, regional and national dollars potentially impacted on Hispanic radio stations serving US Hispanic Consumers.

The number is HUGE … +/- $250,000,000 in local, regional and national Hispanic Radio revenues negotiated with Arbitron ratings.

But what is the trump card?

The Spanish Radio Association (SRA) created a list of issue they expect to receive answer on from Arbitron. Answers have not come forth, but are expected by the SRA from Arbitron.

According to Radio Ink magazine, a resolution by the FCC Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age asks the commission to “investigate Arbitron’s new PPM audience measurement system to determine whether the system is having or will have a detrimental and discriminatory effect upon stations targeting minority audiences.”

Arbitron Inc. announced that it will resume the commercialization of its Portable People Meter radio ratings service in eight markets.

Raul Alarcon Sr., founder and Director Emeritus of Spanish Broadcasting System, has died.

Alarcon, a pioneer in Spanish-language broadcasting, left Cuba, and the radio company he had founded there, following Fidel Castro’s rise to power. He re-established his radio career in the United States, and in 1983, he purchased his first radio station.

Spanish-language radio broadcasters Spanish Broadcasting System, Entravision Communications Corporation, Univision Communications and Border Media Partners have formed an industry-focused committee to voice concerns about Arbitron’s proposed rollout of the Portable People Meter (PPM) and the potentially harmful impact it could have on the Hispanic marketplace. The newly created group has been named the Spanish Radio Association (“SRA”).

By now almost everyone in the media industry has heard about Arbitron’s latest attempt to improve its present day system of “diary keeping” to a new and supposedly “improved” method of electronic measurement called the “Portable People Meter”- PPM. The transition has been far from smooth. By Frank Flores / Spanish Broadcasting System/NY.