[BC] Arbitron

[RichardBJohnson at comcast.net]

Interested readers can review this.

http://newsblaze.com/story/20080912102505zzzz.nb/topstory.html

The PPM, in addition to possible under sampling of important demographics has technical problems as well. A station's PPM tones will not be heard if the station is "playing in the background," i.e., the usual way for a radio to be used. It is only when the PPM is very near the radio speaker(s), with no appreciable acoustic delays and reverberations, that the sample will be recorded. This produces a weighting problem favoring automobile radios.

Nevertheless, it may be more accurate than having "selected" people keep a log as was done in the "olden" days. The "best" way to obtain listener information was to set up a van in a "typical" neighborhood and record local oscillator radiation. Digital processing of such emissions (quantity of those grouped around a certain frequency, not magnitude) is now possible. Early attempts using this principle for television had poor results because the numerous LO signals could not be separated and counted using analog techniques. Digital techniques, that can  provide an effective sub-hertz bandwidth are now available.

Since most TV is now via the cable and cable in bi-directional, similar LO sampling could be used there as well. However, cable companies will surreptitiously record your viewing habits by eliminating conventional cable TV transmission altogether. Instead, they provide a "cable-box" which becomes the only way you can watch TV. This box "connects" with a server and thereby records the channel(s) you are watching, just like Comcast "knows" that I am using their Web Email to write this and, potentially, every key-stroke, typo, correction, etc., could be recorded without my knowledge or consent! Fortunately, there is security by obscurity because there are just too many people simultaneously doing what I am doing, that the potential of me being observed is very low. However, the "spy channel" does exist!

Like most, I don't really care who knows what I'm watching on TV or listening to on the Radio. However, I think that if my habits are part of the sample, then I should get paid for my contributions. This is why I am against the information being obtained from cable-boxes and so far, I don't use one.

Cheers,
Richard B. Johnson
Book: http://www.AbominableFirebug.com/

----- Original Message -----
From: "Rich Wood" <richwood at pobox.com>

------ At 04:27 AM 7/23/2009, mrfixit at min.midco.net wrote: -------

>On the surface, it appears that this is a case of someone going nuts
>over tracking listenership. Perhaps that is it in its entirety, or
>maybe there is more to it.

Without encoding you don't exist. The diary was passive and required 
nothing from a station beyond a carefully filled out facilities form 
with any identifying info about the station. Everyone was included.

With the PPM, if the listening device doesn't "hear" you, you have no 
chance of appearing in the results.

You may be able to sell locally but kiss off any national buys. We 
all know the problems of the diary and have had years to learn to 
program to it. Waiting until Wednesday night to fill out all your 
listening for the week in the diary isn't possible. The PPM actively 
reports what it hears, when it hears it. So far, it looks like 
stations with long TSLs are taking a beating. Smooth Jazz is taking a 
beating and some stations are dropping the format before PPM hits the 
market. It seems to be good for high cuming stations and death for 
stations people like enough to listen for hours.

Ethnic stations see enough of a problem to get the government involved.

Rich 

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