BBM Canada announces results of television audience measurement technology RFP – will launch the world’s largest combined TV and Radio meter panel

April 28, 2008, Toronto, ON — BBM Canada announced today that it has selected a joint bid by Arbitron Inc. and TNS Media Research to deploy Portable People Meter technology for electronic measurement of television in Canada.

BBM issued the request for proposals in June 2007 and received bids from three organizations as well as a joint bid from Arbitron/TNS. The submissions were reviewed by a committee of BBM members and after ten months of evaluation a recommendation was made to select the Arbitron/TNS bid. The subcommittee was appointed by BBM’s Board of Directors and had broad representation from conventional television, specialty television and agency members.

“BBM’s goal is this process was to ensure that our electronic television measurement system was employing the most efficient and cost-effective technology available,” said Jim MacLeod, President and CEO, BBM Canada. “I am confident that BBM’s Board of Directors has chosen a technology solution that will not only meet the audience measurement needs of today but will also anticipate and adapt to the needs of the future.”

"We’re delighted that the Portable People Meter will be an integral component of the world’s most advanced, single source, radio and television ratings system which the BBM is now creating for Canada’s radio and TV broadcasters, agencies and advertisers," said Steve Morris, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Arbitron Inc. "We designed the Portable People Meter to be a robust and adaptable technology. That’s why the PPM is the ideal solution for single source media measurement where one panel of consumers is used to measure many channels of media distribution."

"BBM blazed the trail in portable measurement when it adopted PPM for TV audience currency in Montreal and Quebec in 2004,” said Richard Marks, Global Head, TNS Media Research. “Since then the system has been adopted as currency in a number of countries so we are delighted that the PPM is 'coming home' to the rest of Canada. We are looking forward to partnering with BBM and Arbitron to roll out what will be the world's largest meter panel providing both TV and Radio currency."

The new PPM television service is currently scheduled to begin installation in early 2009 with a commercial launch in Fall 2009. 

For more information please contact: 
Tom Jenks 
Director, Communications 
Phone: 416.847.2078 
Email: tjenks@bbm.ca

About BBM Canada BBM Canada, Sondages BBM in Québec, is a not-for-profit, member-owned tripartite industry organization, which has been operating since 1944. It supplies radio and television audience ratings services to the Canadian advertising industry. BBM’s membership includes television and radio stations and networks, advertising agencies, and advertisers.

BBM’s services include an electronic measurement system and diary surveys for our 100+ radio and television markets. BBM is located in Toronto, Ontario with operations in Moncton, Montreal, and Vancouver. Find out more about BBM at www.bbm.ca.