Effective with the April 2009 report period, Arbitron is reporting audience estimates in its syndicated PPM Radio Market Report service for additional stations, subject to the stations meeting Minimum Reporting Standards.
These stations, licensed by the FCC and receivable by radio listeners at 87.7 FM, promote their programming to FM listeners and operate as FM radio stations, but are licensed by the FCC under terms that differ from those of stations previously reported in Arbitron’s PPM Radio Market Report service.
This will be especially useful to Mega Media Group, which O&O’s Dance WNYZ-LP (Pulse 87 New York), and will be doing the same move in LA and Chicago (3/11/09 RBR #48).
These additional stations are authorized by the FCC to carry video content receivable on analog televisions, in addition to audio programming receivable on FM radios – although they carry no visual advertising content and promote their programming to radio listeners, rather than to television viewers.
To be eligible for reporting, the stations must meet all of the following criteria:
• The audio programming is receivable on FM radio receivers;
• The programming is transmitted under the lawful authority of the FCC;
• The programming is marketed by the station’s operators exclusively to radio listeners;
• The programming is audio-only programming or otherwise unaccompanied by visual advertising content.
Eligible stations will be reported with “alias” call letters beginning will the call letter “X” and will carry the suffix “FM.”
PPM ratings are based on audience estimates and are the opinion of Arbitron and should not be relied on for precise accuracy or precise representativeness of a demographic or radio market.
