Arbitron's First PPM Ratings Ever

Mediaweek's Katy Bachman reports:

Arbitron made radio history Friday, releasing the industry's first currency ratings from the industry's first electronic measurement system. From this point forward, there will be no more diaries and no more quarterly measurement. Ratings will be delivered monthly for persons six and older.

“This is an important day for the American radio industry. Radio advertisers have been united in their desire for radio to enhance its accountability by adopting electronic measurement of radio audiences,” said Steve Morris, president and CEO of Arbitron.

The March Portable People Meter survey covered the period March 8 to April 4.

The top-10 stations (in Philadelphia) by average quarter-hour rating for persons 12 and over were: WBEB-FM; KYW-AM and WMMR-FM (tied for No. 2); WOGL-FM; WDAS-FM, WMGK-FM, and WXTU-FM (tied for No. 5); WBEN-FM and WPHT-AM (tied for No. 8); WHYY-FM, WIOQ-FM, WIP-AM, WISX-FM, WPHI-FM, WRDW-FM, and WUSL-FM (tied for No. 10).

The top 5 stations (in Philadelphia) by average-quarter-hour share for persons six and over were: WBEB-FM (9.2), Adult Contemporary owned by Jerry Lee; KYW-AM (8.4), News, CBS Radio; WMMR-FM (7.9), Rock, Greater Media; WOGL-FM (7.4), Oldies, CBS Radio; WMGK-FM (5.7), Classic Rock, Greater Media. Arbitron plans to roll out the PPM ratings service to the top 50 markets by 2010.

The next PPM market scheduled to go live is Houston in June, followed by New York in December and Chicago and Los Angeles in March.

The PPM has been in market trials since 2001.

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