Arbitron responds and takes its commitment seriously

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Recent RBR-TVBR Viewpoint entitled ‘Nielsen Supports Television. Arbitron Pays Itself Millions’


The authors of the recent Harker Research blog have deliberately overlooked Arbitron’s long history of initiatives to support the Radio industry and their assertions are factually incorrect.

Arbitron takes its commitment to the radio industry and as an advocate for its success very seriously. We have a long and consistent record of research and analysis on important issues impacting the radio industry. 

Arbitron frequently supports industry organizations including: the International Radio and Television Society Foundation (IRTS) (chaired this year by Arbitron’s Pierre Bouvard, EVP Cross Platform Services) as well as the American Women in Media (AWM) (formerly American Women in Radio and Television). Arbitron has provided philanthropic support with substantial contributions to the Bayliss Foundation, an educational scholarship directed at media students, and the Broadcast Foundation of America which provides anonymous financial assistance to fellow radio and television broadcasters who are in acute need.

Of particular note, Arbitron donations include:
o       $1 million to the RAB in 2009 in support of the Radio Heard Here campaign.
o       Millions to support the Radio Ad Effectiveness Lab. (RAEL was started by Arbitron and the impetus to get it funded by others was led by Arbitron,).
o       Annual contributions to state broadcaster associations.

Additionally, we are working with a group of industry leaders on creating an Affinity Metric for radio. We are also partnering with industry leaders to enhance Radio’s share of ad dollars with a project aimed at incorporating radio more extensively in Media Mix Models, used widely by advertisers to allocate ad spend across media.

There are over 130 free studies available on the Arbitron Web site
Arbitron is committed to providing the industry with Research to facilitate a better understanding of the Radio industry and its marketplace.  The Infinite Dial 2010: Digital Platforms and the future of Radio, the 18th study in partnership with Edison Media, will be presented April 8, 2010 at 2PM. These studies, dating back to 1998, on Radio, the Internet and digital media are widely used and cited. Acknowledging the Internet’s place in the media landscape and the importance that it plays in a consumer’s life is important data for radio. Since the 1970s, we have produced annual Radio Today studies, expanding over the years to include Black Radio Today, Hispanic Radio Today, Public Radio Today and Network Radio Today. These studies and others are available on our web site Arbitron.com.

We have partnered with other leading companies to add to the radio knowledge base.  
o       Pioneering research (together with Media Monitors and Coleman) that demonstrated radio holds 92% of its lead in audience during spot breaks; 
o       The Bedroom Project: How Young Americans Use, Consume and Interact with Technology and Media (in partnership with Jacobs Media);
o       The Spot Load Study 2005: Managing Radio Commercial Inventories for Advertisers and Listeners;
o       The Los Angeles in-Car Study; What Women Want: Five Secrets to Better Ratings;
o       Radio’s Leading Indicator: Audience Ratings And Their Impact On Revenue.

Arbitron is proud of its advocacy and research efforts on behalf of the industry.  We understand that given the challenges facing broadcasters, that commitment is more important than it has ever been.  We look forward to partnering with the industry to provide even greater insight into today’s media industry. 

(source: Alton Adams, Chief Marketing Officer and EVP, Arbitron Inc)