This bulletin provides radio stations, advertisers, agencies and other users of Arbitron PPM data with information regarding market specification changes and key dates, and with other information about Arbitron’s reports and services. 

PPM Report Periods

Audience estimates in each Arbitron PPM Radio Market Report are based on a four-week report period.  This bulletin covers the three report periods below.  This bulletin may be supplemented by additional bulletins as warranted.    

PPM Reports

Minimum Reporting Standards (MRS)
Effective with the March 2007 report period, an encoded station is eligible for reporting if the station meets all three of the Minimum Reporting Standards below, among Metro Persons 6+, in the Monday-Sunday 6AM-Midnight daypart:

• At least five minutes of listening (within a quarter-hour) from at least one in-tab PPM panelist, and
• 0.495 Average Weekly Cume Rating, and
• 0.05 Average Quarter Hour (AQH) Rating (averaged over the applicable report period).   

Prior to March 2007, Minimum Reporting Standards for PPM reports included listening from at least one in-tab panelist and an Average Weekly Cume Rating of at least 0.495, but no minimum AQH Rating was required.

PPM Release Schedules and Methodology

Additional information on the release schedule for PPM audience estimates and data, and information on PPM methodology, is available at the Arbitron Web site at:

http://www.arbitron.com/portable_people_meters/home.htm

Market Specification Changes

No changes in market definition or ethnic controls are planned for the above PPM radio markets during the April 2007, May 2007, and June 2007 report periods.

Encoding

Arbitron will provide encoding equipment at no cost for each eligible station that chooses to encode.  Stations are eligible to encode their signals, and to receive encoding equipment, regardless of subscriber status.

No metro audience estimates will be tabulated or reported for stations that choose not to encode.  Once a market is converted to PPM electronic measurement, estimates based on diaries will no longer be available. 

A station may begin encoding after the report period begins; however, audience estimates will not be adjusted to exclude unencoded intervals.  For example, audience estimates for a station that begins encoding the third week of the report period will include two weeks of zero listening averaged with listening that occurs during the third and fourth weeks of the report period.  Similarly, any portion of a day during which a station’s signal is not encoded will be counted as zero listening, since no meter will be able to detect listening to the station.  It is for that reason that Arbitron provides a monitor and a backup encoder.  Close attention to the guidelines and recommendations below will help ensure that each station’s audience estimates reflect any listening that occurs during the station’s broadcast hours:

• Stations will need to give high priority to ensuring the encoder is operating.  Although the station’s engineer will likely find the encoder easy to use, the encoder will need monitoring.  It is the station’s responsibility to self-monitor encoding at all times. Arbitron will provide the station with the tools (encoder, backup encoder, encoding monitor and associated documents) to make this possible.
• Arbitron’s Encoding Operations staff will be available to help the station begin encoding.  Working in cooperation with Arbitron’s Encoding Operations staff, the station engineer will have the tools necessary to ensure the effective installation of encoding equipment.    
• In the event of an encoder failure:
  • The station should switch to the Backup or Spare encoder immediately!
  • The station should contact Arbitron Encoding Operations.

Encoding Steps

The following steps are necessary to ensure that the equipment is correctly selected, installed, and tested before the station is fully encoded and eligible for audience estimates:

• The station signs and returns an encoding agreement.
  This will help clarify the parties’ respective responsibilities.
• The equipment is shipped.
  A representative from Arbitron Encoding Operations will contact the station’s engineer to assess the station’s technical needs.  Arbitron then ships the appropriate equipment.
• The equipment is installed. 
  Once received, the engineer should install the encoding equipment (main and back-up encoder) and in-station encoding monitor as soon as possible.
• The equipment is tested.
  Once the equipment is installed, the station’s engineer and Arbitron Encoding Operations need to test each encoder (main and back-up) to make sure the equipment is functioning properly.  This will require an off-air audio sample from each encoder.
• Arbitron confirms that the station is properly encoded.
  Once all components have been tested, Arbitron will provide the station with confirmation that the station is considered encoded and eligible for reporting.
• The station monitors its encoder status.
  Following installation of the encoder, it is the station’s responsibility to monitor the encoding status using the provided in-station monitor.  Arbitron’s engineers recommend connecting the monitor to the station’s existing air-fault alarm system.

Station Information

Radio stations in PPM markets will continue to receive quarterly Station Information Packets (SIPs).  We ask that stations in PPM markets continue to complete and return the packets on a timely basis.  Stations may further update their submitted station information at any time.  Arbitron strongly encourages stations to note the following:

• Stations should continue to submit Station Information Profiles (SIPs). 
  Station Information Profiles will still be needed to enable Arbitron to report detailed and timely station information such as format.  For stations that reach into adjacent markets in which diaries are used, Station Names will continue to be used to assign listening credit in the adjacent markets.  The careful and timely submission of Station Names may therefore continue to be important.           
• Stations should notify Arbitron of Frequency Moves, “Hot” Call Letter Changes and other complex changes in advance.   
  These changes will continue to have important reporting implications.  By notifying us in advance, Arbitron can work with stations to ensure that their estimates are reported most appropriately.  We will not be able, for example, to implement frequency moves retroactively.
• Stations should notify Arbitron about call letter changes and other station information promptly. 
  With more frequent and timely reports than our quarterly diary service, updates will have to be processed quickly.  We may be unable to note call letter changes and other important changes if stations delay notifying us.  Station Information changes must be received by the last day of the applicable report period.

Key Dates

Station information updates will be accepted through the last day of the applicable report period.

Please address updates to:

Address:
Radio Station Relations
Arbitron Inc.
9705 Patuxent Woods Drive
Columbia, MD 21046-1572
Attention: Station Information  

Phone: (410) 312-8062.
Fax: (410) 312-8619

Station information updates will be acknowledged by e-mail, letter, or postcard.

The policy and procedure amendment(s) set forth in this bulletin are hereby incorporated by reference into, and deemed to amend and supersede in pertinent part, the most recent Description of Methodology as published in the Local Radio Market Report or as otherwise furnished to subscribers.

For more detailed information on the topics in this bulletin, including the specific markets affected by Arbitron’s ongoing efforts to improve sample quality, please contact your local Arbitron sales representative.

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