Broadcasters, Advertisers and Ad Agency Leaders Partner With Arbitron to Define Radio Affinity Metric

PRNewswire
COLUMBIA, Md.
(NYSE:ARB)

COLUMBIA, Md., Sept. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) announced today the formation of a task force of radio and advertising industry leaders to develop an ongoing measure of "affinity" that is designed to reflect the advertising value of the unique relationship listeners have with their stations. The mission of this leadership team is to design a relevant, timely and accessible metric that captures audience involvement and has a lasting, balanced impact on radio planning and buying.

Following the September 15, 2009 kick-off meeting, the group is moving aggressively to articulate the parameters that will help define, architect and introduce this significant metric across the industry as soon as possible.

"In assembling this prestigious committee of industry luminaries, Arbitron intends to create a measurement that complements existing data and showcases radio's true impact for agencies and advertisers," said Alton Adams, Executive Vice President of Arbitron Inc. "Given the industry's challenges, this timely and important endeavor is bringing the insights and expertise of advertisers, agencies and broadcaster together to help measure radio's true value."

"This initiative brings together a cross-representative group of concerned industry leaders from advertisers, agencies, and radio companies to find a new qualitative metric that will make the planning and buying of radio more meaningful," said Dr. Tom Evans, Vice President of Audio Research & Special Projects at ESPN. "Radio is at a critical crossroads today. This initiative will help relevant industries understand radio beyond the traditional quantitative metrics and comprehend what radio can uniquely contribute to a media plan."

Shannon Pederson, Senior Local Media Manager at Subway commented, "I am joining this committee because I believe radio is absolutely necessary to reach our consumers and get them into our restaurants. I think we struggle with understanding how radio fits in with our overall plans as well as how to use it as efficiently as possible."

"We believe that Arbitron's commitment and collaborative approach to developing this metric will help bring greater clarity to strategic radio planning and buying decisions," concluded Adams.

Arbitron retained Sequent Partners to oversee, guide the development of the metrics and facilitate the process and is providing resources to fund and implement the process.

                              Task Force Leadership Team

    Gerry Boehme                          Matt Johnson
    Executive Vice President              Media Director
    Strategic Planning & Information      Belron U/Safelite AutoGlass
    Technology Services
    Katz Media Group
                                          Betty Kuphal
                                          Director of Regional Media, East
                                          Region
    Paul Bronstein                        The Coca-Cola Company
    Vice President, Research
    Westwood One Radio                    Deon Levingston
                                          Vice President/General Manager
    Joanne Church                         Inner City Broadcasting
    President
    Radio Research Consortium
                                          Brian McElroy
    Dr. Tom Evans                         Vice President of Research
    Vice President of Audio Research &    Katz Marketing Solutions
     Special Projects
    ESPN
                                          Dennis P. McGuire
    Janice Finkel-Greene                  Vice President Group Spot Director
    Executive Vice President and          Carat
    Director of Futures and Technology
    Magna Global
                                          Shannon Pedersen
    David Gleason                         Senior Local Media Manager
    Executive Vice President              Subway/SFAFT
    Programming Support Information
     Systems
    Univision                             Isabella Sanchez
                                          SVP, Managing Director
    Tony Gray                             Tapestry
    President/CEO
    Gray Communications                   Amy Vokes
                                          Vice President, Research
    Jeff Haley                            Radio One
    President/CEO
    Radio Advertising Bureau              Gail Warren Associate
                                          Media Director
    Lucy Hughes                           Burrell Advertising
    Senior Vice President, Research
    CBS Radio

About Arbitron

Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) is a media and marketing research firm serving the media - radio, television, cable, online radio and out-of-home - as well as advertisers and advertising agencies. Arbitron's core businesses are measuring network and local market radio audiences across the United States; surveying the retail, media and product patterns of local market consumers; and providing application software used for analyzing media audience and marketing information data. The company has developed the Portable People Meter™, a new technology for media and marketing research. Portable People Meter™ and PPM™ are marks of Arbitron Inc.

About Sequent Partners

Sequent Partners was formed in 2003 as a specialized brand and media metrics consultancy focused on helping marketers, the media and research companies navigate the changing media landscape. Clients come to Sequent Partners for thought leadership and analytically oriented consulting to leverage their media investment and build brands. Sequent Partners has been at the forefront of many of the industry's leading media initiatives including managing the client steering committee for Project Apollo, developing measurement guidelines for OVAB (Out of Home Video Advertising Bureau) and working with Ball State University to deliver the Nielsen-funded Council for Research Excellence's Video Consumer Mapping Study.

SOURCE Arbitron Inc.

SOURCE: Arbitron Inc.

Web site: http://www.arbitron.com/