Radio markets: The BIA connection
Broadcast Investment Analyst's MEDIA Access Pro database (not Market Pro, as RBR inadvertently called it the other day) is the new source authority for anyone interested in preparing a market concentration report for the FCC in support of a radio station transaction. Emphasize the word "source." It is a source, but as Poe's raven might say, it is "...only that and nothing more." BIA, in short, does not make up the rules - - the FCC does that. And BIA does not define the markets - - that is done by Arbitron in the course of conducting Arbitron business.
To find the station list for a given market as ruled upon by the FCC, defined by Arbitron and reported by BIA, you must use MEDIA Access Pro's Saved Searches function, then the "FCC Geographic Market Stations" option - - it will quickly produce the "FCC Geographic Market Definition" for whatever market you select, including critical information for each station such as frequency, format, home market, the date the station became part of the market, the owner, the city and state of license and the county of license.
There are basically two ways to make it onto the list, according to Haidee Calore of BIA's VP/Media Information Group. If your station is located in a county defined by Arbitron as part of the Metro Survey Area, you're in, whether your station is commercial or noncommercial, rated or not rated. The second way is to be listed above the line in a market other than the one to which your city of license is attributed by Arbitron. This is completely in line with the new FCC definition.
This specialized BIA sort does indeed list WHFS-FM Annapolis MD as being part of both the Washington and Baltimore markets - - this corrects our earlier report, for which we looked only at the quick search version of Baltimore (12/6/04 RBR #236). It's in Baltimore because that is its geographical home by virtue of its Anne Arundel County location, and it's listed in Washington because that's where it is listed above the line by Arbitron.
In short, as far as station transactions, market definitions and station market attribution are concerned, BIA is neither a definer nor an arbitrator. It is a reporter. It is the owner of a comprehensive station database which is useful to the FCC since it has been carefully tied to both Arbitron and to the counties of the United States.
More to come.
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