At first glance, it appears that Arbitron has agreed to do exactly what the PPM Coalition has been pressing for – instituting the Houston methodology in all markets. But the devil is in the details, so the official comment from the Coalition, for now, is wait and see.
Here is the statement that the PPM Coalition sent to RBR-TVBR:
“In the Annual Report (SEC Form 10-K) that Arbitron, Inc. filed yesterday (March 1, 2010), the company provided a summary of the proposal that it made to the United States House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on February 12. Arbitron had also provided a copy of that proposal to the PPM Coalition when it made its filing with the House Committee. The Coalition had a number of questions regarding the proposal and noted some areas where it would like to see additional details, explanations, and benchmarks. Arbitron and the Coalition have made plans to meet and discuss these issues in depth. Until the parties have had these discussions, the Coalition will have no further comment on Arbitron’s proposal.”
The PPM Coalition is composed of:
The National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters
The Spanish Radio Association
The Minority Media and Telecommunications Council
The Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies
Entravision Communications Corporation
ICBC Broadcast Holdings, Inc.
Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc.
Univision Communications Inc.
