NABOB disputes Arbitron’s PPM analysis

Arbitron was quick to issue a press release yesterday showing how well Urban and Spanish stations had done in the first PPM reports for eight new markets. Not so, said NABOB, which accused Arbitron of issuing a “deceptive press release.” But NABOB Executive Director Jim Winston says ad buyers won’t be fooled –and are likely to press for “huge reductions” in ad rates at top Urban stations based on PPM ratings.

With Monday’s release of the first “currency” PPM data in New York and seven other markets, Arbitron had touted how well Urban and Spanish stations did in the ratings. NABOB denounced Arbitron for rolling out those new PPM markets two days early to prevent the New York Attorney General from obtaining a court injunction. NABOB says it will now work very closely with the New York AG to have PPM reviewed in the courts.

“Arbitron’s press release touting the urban and Spanish language station “success” in PPM is particularly galling,” said Winston. “Specifically, pointing out that WBLS in New York has a number one ‘share’ among 25-54 year olds from 6 am to 10 am, Monday thru Friday, was most disingenuous.  Arbitron pronounced this as if it were a great achievement.  However, what Arbitron fails to point out is that: (1) advertisers buy from rating points, not share, (2) this number one share is not a new achievement for WBLS , this is the position that WBLS has held for many rating periods, (3) the rating that WBLS achieved was 39% lower than the rating it earned in the diary system, and (4) in the overall numbers, 25-54 Monday through Sunday, 6 am to 12 midnight, WBLS fell from number 3 in the diary to number 8 in PPM, with a 50% decline in average rating,”he noted.

“Therefore, Arbitron’s press release, which was obviously intended to give the public the impression that the NABOB stations have no valid complaint about PPM, is deceptive and misleading in failing to provide a full and accurate picture of the continuing rating declines faced by urban formatted stations under the PPM system,” Winston said.

“Arbitron’s press release may deceive some of the public and those not familiar with all of the PPM data. Unfortunately, it will not fool any advertising agencies or advertisers who will continue to use the total PPM data against urban stations to press them for huge reductions in station advertising rates or exclude those stations from the advertising buys altogether,” Winston added.

“Today’s actions by Arbitron may make the process of getting PPM fixed more protracted and time consuming.  However, this is a battle for survival for stations serving the African American and Hispanic communities.  We cannot and will not cease our efforts to get fair and accurate ratings from Arbitron,” Winston concluded.
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