War Coverage Frequently Asked Questions

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Q: Do I still need to submit the Station Information Packet (SIP) even though Arbitron is no longer collecting program information?

A: Yes, stations should continue to complete and return their SIP every survey and submit any facility changes that take place during the survey. Updates can be faxed to (410) 312-8619.

Q: If my station suffers a power outage due to a terrorist attack, should I let Arbitron know?

A: Yes. Your station should provide Arbitron with the day(s) and time of the power outage (or intermittent and/or reduced power). Arbitron will note the Technical Difficulty in the “Special Notices” section (Page 13) of the respective survey’s Radio Market Report, assuming that your station meets the Minimum Reporting Standards and is reported in the book.

Q: Should I notify Arbitron of my war coverage programming just to make sure that my station will receive its credit should these entries appear?

A: No, that’s not necessary. Any diary entries containing war references combined with a clear station descriptor (for example, "WAAA 107.3 War Coverage" or "WBBB 1500 U.S. Attacks on Iraq") will be credited to the station clearly recorded in the entry. Entries such as "War news,""Terrorist Attack,""Iraqi War Coverage" without clear descriptors will generally be credited as Unidentified Listening.

Q: With my programming now including more focus on national news, will my diarykeepers change the way in which they record their listening?

A: No, diarykeepers do not change the way in which they record their listening during wartime and/or national crisis.

During the Sept.11 terrorist attacks and the many weeks thereafter, New York and Washington, DC, diarykeepers continued to record their listening by frequency, call letters, and/or Station Name.

Program/personality entries continued to be recorded at very low levels and did not increase during that time. The same pattern held during the Beltway Sniper attacks in Washington, DC, during the Fall 2002 survey.

Q: If my station is broadcasting war news via a network anchorperson, should I let Arbitron know?

A: No, that’s not necessary. Should such entries appear combined with additional station descriptors (such as "WZGC 92.9 Wolf Blitzer"), Arbitron will follow the new Programming Diary Credit policy to credit the entry.

Q: If my station is broadcasting war coverage via a new network affiliation, how can I be sure that my station is credited for these network references in the entries?

A: If your station is affiliated with a new network due to war coverage demands, then submit this network affiliation to Arbitron as soon as the station begins to broadcast this coverage. Network affiliation updates should be faxed to (410) 312-8619. Your station will then be eligible for credit for any such entries (for example, "CNN WAAA 1500").