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After yesterday's announcement that Infinity signed a new multi-year agreement with Arbitron (8/18 RBR Daily Epaper #161), we assumed the news was not good for The Media Audit, which Infinity has been selling as its exclusive service for media and marketing research since mid-July.

Not so, says Bob Jordan, The Media Audit President: "We are pleased that Infinity and Arbitron have come to an agreement. There is much to be gained in selling with both Arbitron quantitative radio ratings and The Media Audit qualitative ratings. Arbitron offers a radio centric measurement while The Media Audit offers advertiser-focused research.

We commend [Infinity President] Joel Hollander and the Infinity management team for their open mindedness and leadership. Hollander has signaled to the advertising community that Infinity is interested in exploring and developing ways to prove radio's substantial value to advertisers. Radio is a very influential advertising medium and has a great opportunity to increase its share of ad dollars. We look forward to working with Infinity and other radio groups as well as advertisers and agencies in the development of the next generation of media/advertiser ratings."

In addition, The Media Audit has replaced Arbitron's Scarborough qualitative service at Infinity. And, the move to launch a new radio ratings service via The Media Audit ("Radio Ratings USA"), with Infinity as the spearhead, is still on track but delayed at least six months, as we reported yesterday.

WYD Media Management gets first client

Former Jones MediaAmerica CEO Ron Hartenbaum's new company, WYD Media Management (7/15 RBR Daily Epaper #137) has scored its first client: WLIB-AM NY. Hartenbaum will be consulting on the local side for the Inner City station, which is the flagship for the AirAmerica Radio network.

NABTP confab in the offing

The National Association of Black Telecommunications Professionals has a three-day session in the works for the middle of next month. The theme is "Telecommunications - - Moving Messages, Lifting Communities." Emerging technologies and public policy and regulatory issues will be hot topics. It runs from 9/16-18/04 in Washington DC.

Particular attention will be paid to the upcoming FCC FM Auction 37 and Wireless Auction 58. A seminar 9/17/04 will cover the following topics:

* Upcoming auctions and their economic potential

* FCC rules and procedures governing auctions

* Assembling and structuring a company to bid in an auction

* Raising capital for an auction bid

* Engineering to plan and support auction bids

* Bidding strategy

Information is available at 222.nabtp.org.