Via Mark Ramsey:

«1. What the "One" rule is, and how to use it
2. How direct mail REALLY works
3. What happens when you correlate all TV expenditures with all PPM ratings results - does TV work or not?
4. Whether or not recall really matters
5. Whether or not marketing really matters
6. Whether Friday is "the new Thursday" in Arbitron (hint: It’s not)
7. What works - and what doesn’t - based on REAL data, not opinions or guesswork»

The People Meter, a pager-sized device that automatically registers what radio station survey participants are listening to, is already yielding more specific -- and, in some cases, surprising -- data. The results from the first two markets indicate that people flip among stations more frequently than they say, that men listen to significantly more radio than women and that employed people listen a lot more than people who don't work. While the diary system pointed to some of these findings, it typically missed how broad they are. In the markets that have switched to the electronic ratings, rock and classic rock rank higher than before, while hip-hop and other urban music generally don't stack up as well. Perhaps most important, radio stations typically pull in a bigger audience than they thought, but that audience spends less time listening to them.»

fonte: «New Way to Count Listeners Shakes Up Radio», Wall Street Journal, By SARAH MCBRIDE, September 6, 2007;

Os primeiros resultados da PPM nas duas cidades analisadas mostram que as estações mais ouvidas, de acordo com o sistema antigo dos diários, afinal têm menos ouvintes. Será o fenómeno da inércia provocado pela vontade de muitos em querer estar com os vencedores, na linha da espiral do silêncio? em Portugal isso - penso - irá reflectir-se na Renascença, quando o registo de audiências for menos «humano».

«A reasonable worry with the rollout of Arbitron's Personal People Meter was that the new measuring device would do the same for radio ratings that Nielsen's Local People Meter has done for local TV ratings: knock them down for the bigger stations. That's exactly what's happening, which becomes clear with the release this week of a new set of results from the PPM in Philadelphia and Houston, the first two markets to switch to the PPM. The data are startling. Average quarter-hour ratings are off about 30 percent from those under the old paper-diary system, by Arbitron's calculations, and media buyers say the falloff can be as high as 50 percent or more for some stations. As with Nielsen's LPMs when they began rolling out several years ago, buyers face the prospect of spending more client ad dollars to reach the same audiences they thought they were reaching under the diary system. (...)

fonte: «Radio ratings tank with Arbitron PPM», Medialife Magazone, By Kevin Downey Aug 17, 2007

Mark Ramsey suscita mais uma questão relevante, a partir de um comentário no seu blogue (a discussão é clássica, mas ganha nova actualidade com o PPM que não mede quem está a ouvir mas o que está sintonizado):

«"PPM," he said, "measures exposure, not 'listening.' The device 'receives' - and we use that as a proxy for the actual person holding the device." Now I will assume that the device is generally in the proximity of a listener as the "reception" is happening (true or not, a far better assumption than the one which says folks carry their paper Arbitron diaries with them wherever they go and fill them out as they listen). This distinction between "listening" and "exposure" is most practically one between "listening" and "hearing." And the consequences for this difference are profound. "Listening" is active. "Hearing" is passive.  "Listening," therefore, is an act of will. "Hearing" can simply happen without desire or intention or interest or preference. "Listening" is emotional. "Hearing" is passionless.»

Noutro comentário há quem diga que a questão é relevante para a rádio musical e não tanto para a rádio de palavra: «Talk radio follows completely different rules, especially in this case. As we continue to debate how to fix music radio, I think it is important to look at the success of talk radio, their personalities, and why they are thriving»

The increase in quarter hours coincides with the implementation of new diary instructions, effective in the fall of 2006, that identify internet and satellite radio as sources of listening for respondents to note in their diaries in addition to AM/FM radio, according to Arbitron.
Sixty-six percent of the quarter-hours that included an internet identifier for an AM/FM station identified a local station. Seventy-eight percent of these diaries that contained listening to the internet streams of local stations also contained listening to the over-the-air version of the station.

Despite the growth in internet listening, listening to AM/FM radio stations online still accounts for less than 1 percent of un-weighted quarter-hours overall in the 30 analyzed markets (from 0.11 percent in spring 2006 to 0.47 percent in fall 2006).»

fonte: Internet Listening to AM/FM Radio Stations Soars in Fall 2006 Media buyer planner, 11/06/07

«(...) The first official radio ratings from Arbitron’s long-in-the-works PPM are out for the Philadelphia market, and those initial ratings suggest very different radio listening behavior than what the old diary system reported. More people are listening to radio than previously thought. They're also listening to more stations, and they’re doing so for longer periods of time. And, most significant, ratings for specific demographics are dipping on some top stations. Much as with Nielsen's old TV diary system, it appears Arbitron's diary households were wont to fill in fewer stations than they actually listened to and to fill in the best-known or biggest stations. The diary says the average listener listens to two or three radio stations but the PPM says the average listener is exposed to five or six stations,” says Thom Mocarsky from Arbitron. In the end, once the PPM system is fully rolled out, that means media buyers will be booking many more spots on a longer list of stations to reach the same number of people as current schedules. Buyers will have to buy more units to achieve current reach and frequency goals to reflect the fact that listeners are splitting their time among more stations. That will tighten up inventory and will give stations some leverage to raise prices.»

fonte: «Radio buyers can expect deeper buys», Media Life Magazine, By Kevin Downey, May 1, 2007
 

«Clear Channel Radio CEO John Hogan informed employees via an internal memo that his company has signed up for PPM ratings in Philadelphia, just one day after the first PPM data for that market was released. However, he says Clear Channel remains committed to the process it launched a while back to investigate other forms of electronic measurement, including a test of the Media Audit's cell-phone based system that's slated to launch in Houston.
"I'm pleased to let you know that we've signed a three-year agreement for electronic audience measurement services in the Philadelphia market," Hogan said. "We will begin encoding for Arbitron's Portable People Meter service and we have subscribed to their audience data service."
"We are also continuing our important work with the RFP Evaluation Team (alongside advertisers, media buying agencies and other broadcasters) in evaluating all potential electronic audience-measurement options. As you may know, we are also co-funding a Houston test for The Media Audit/Ipsos with several other broadcasters."
"Our commitment to accurate, timely electronic audience measurement at a reasonable cost remains complete. We have fully supported all companies pursuing electronic audience measurement for radio because we continue to believe that radio deserves the highest-quality rating engine - matching or exceeding what's available to television and other media."»

fonte: «Clear Channel Signs Up For PPM In Philly», Radio Ink, 2/03/07
 

Etiquetas: PPM, MediaAUdit

Agora foi a vez da Cox.

«Arbitron said that Cox Radio has agreed to encode its four radio stations in Houston for the Arbitron Portable People Meter radio ratings service. Cox had been holding out pending Media Rating Council accreditation in that market; that happened recently. The broadcast group has not yet said whether it will subscribe to PPM data from Arbitron. The audience research firm has not released a schedule for PPM implementation in Houston, the second market to go PPM after Philadelphia.»

Etiquetas: PPM

fonte: «Media Audio Plans Market Study of Smart Cell Phone» RadioCurrents Online, 12/02/07

Etiquetas: PPM, Arbitron, MediaAudit

«(...)“If you look at the way cellphone penetration and usage works out it’s heavily skewed toward certain demographic groups, and as you get older, people simply don’t use it nearly as much. Or if they have one they don’t carry it with them, and it makes it much harder to execute a disciplined research study, as opposed to recruiting people to carry a device. It’s just a cleaner, purer way to do research, using a separate device.

“Long-term, we certainly aren’t of the belief that the separate device is the only way to do it or that there won’t be better ways to go forward. But I’m not sure that we would conclude that the cellphone was the be all and end all of other devices. There are people who are addicted to their cellphone and there are people who are addicted to their iPod. If we can take a broader view of devices and be, in effect, agnostic as to which device we use, we move to a world where software as opposed to hardware is the driver. I think we would see a more flexible future in terms what device people carry. And the further we can go down that road the higher level of cooperation we’re going to get.” »

fonte Radio Ink, «Arbitron Chief Discusses Potential Cell Scenario», 16/02/07

«O dia de hoje fica marcado, no mercado dos media nos EUA, pelo início da medição electrónica das audiências de rádio. O primeiro mercado a usar este sistema será o mercado de Filadélfia. Em Filadélfia, serão hoje entregues ao mercado os últimos resultados de audiência de rádio recolhidos através do preenchimento de diários em papel. Estes dados serão usados no mercado publicitário, como "moeda", até Março deste ano, altura em que a empresa conta divulgar os primeiros resultados definitivos da medição pelo Portable People Meter (PPM). Os dados da medição electrónica de Janeiro e Fevereiro terão apenas um carácter demonstrativo. A Arbitron irá distribuir aos seus clientes dados semanais e mensais, que terão como base um painel de 2 040 indivíduos de 6 ou mais anos residentes em Filadélfia. A Research-Live divulgou, entretanto, na passada segunda feira (8 de Janeiro), que uma das principais estações de Filadélfia, a Clear Channel, ainda não tinha acordado em codificar a sua emissão por forma a ser reconhecida pelo PPM.Desta forma, permanece o clima de expectativa, já que agências como a Carat já disseram que apenas poderão comprar espaço publicitário em estações que tenham concordado em participar neste sistema de medição electrónico. Recorde-se que o PPM é um novo tipo de audímetro que detecta sinais inaudíveis, embebidos na emissão das estações, apresentando como principal vantagem o facto de poder medir as audiências de televisão e de rádio tanto dentro como fora de casa. Este sistema já foi testado em Portugal pelo Grupo Marktest.»

fonte: «Arbitron prepara lançamento de audiências pelo PPM em Filadélfia», Marktest.com, 11/1/07

Mais:

«Arbitron announced Friday that Radio One, which for some time has been reluctant to encode its stations for Arbitron's Portable People Meter audience measurement system, has agreed to encode its radio stations in Philadelphia and Los Angeles to work with the PPM. No further details were given. Last year, Radio One quietly began encoding its stations in Houston, where Arbitron is currently conducting a PPM test» (RadioInk, 8/01/07) 

«Based on a target install of 2,040 persons age 6 and older, Arbitron says they are currently more than 90 percent installed.
Cell phone-only households are being recruited for the PPM service in Philadelphia. Nearly 10 percent of the installed panel are cell phone-only homes.  “We have truly ended an era with the delivery of the Radio Market Report for the Fall Survey. These are the very last ‘currency’ radio ratings for Philadelphia that we intend to tabulate using entries written in diaries,” said Jay Guyther, senior vice president, Rating Services, Arbitron Inc. “The arrival of the PPM service also means the end of Arbitrends for Philadelphia. Instead of Winter Phase 1 and 2 Arbitrends reports, subscribing stations will receive monthly PPM-based audience estimates using the installed PPM sample»

ACT «A medição electrónica de audiências de rádio começou a ser feita no dia 11 de Janeiro nos EUA, mais precisamente em Filadélfia, o primeiro dos 50 estados norte-americanos a adoptar o sistema, de acordo com a newsletter da Marktest.
A última medição com base em entrevistas foi divulgada no mesmo dia, sendo que estes dados serão utilizados até ao mês de Março, data em que a Arbitron, empresa que implementou o sistema neste mercado, conta divulgar os primeiros resultados oficiais da medição por PPM (Portable People Meter) (...)» (meios e publicidade, «Audiência de rádio em Filadélfia já é medida pelo PPM», 15/1/07).

Etiquetas: ClearChannel

«Arbitron is just weeks away from going live with PPM ratings in Philadelphia, but a reliable source in the market tells RBR that neither Clear Channel nor Radio One stations are encoding. That's 37.5% of the market's billings. We also heard, but couldn't confirm, that Carat told Arbitron they are not going to buy any stations that are not encoded. If there were several agencies doing that, it would put enormous pressure on the radio companies to encode. The deadline for PPM encoding is Jan 11 in the market. Arbitron PPM President Pierre Bouvard tells RBR: "In conversations with many agencies across the country, we hear they are making these kinds of demands for PPM encoding because of pressure from outside auditing firms who review their buys. If someone is not encoding, they will be essentially an unrated radio station. There are many advertisers that have dictates that say you can't buy unrated radio stations. That's why we will give any station an encoder for free." RBR observation: Why are CC and Radio One inflicting wounds on their own industry? The reasons for Clear Channel's not encoding: Now that they're going private, they don't need to bow to Wall Street pressure, so they can afford to gamble for a year (the deal will still be executed at the same price, no matter what), further posturing against Arbitron for lower rates and/or hoping Media Audit gets the RFP recommendation. Radio One is just following in their footsteps because of its close relationship to CC and its own battles with Arbitron over rates»

fonte: RBR news, 23, 249 Jim Carnegie, 27/12/06

É antiga a preocupação de rádios, anunciantes e fabricantes de encontrar uma forma de medir as audiências nos automóveis - não só porque é grande a percentagem de ouvintes nos carros como porque seria possível encontrar uma tecnologia que, via satélite, descodificasse as preferências radiofónicas dos ouvintes.

O problema parece ultrapassado com as recentes tecnologias da Arbitron (PPM) e da MediaAudit (o Smartphone), mas em 2004 uma empresa - já desaparecida - chamada Navigauge apresentou um sistema (destaque no IHT de 25/8/06, «Tracking radio listeners via satellite») que pretendia corrigir os erros dos diários da Arbitron. A Arbitron não recebeu bem o desafio e a empresa nunca chegou a passar de um teste feito em 2004 em Atlanta que, pelos vistos, produziu resultados «radicalmente diferentes» dos diários da Arbitron.

«To measure in-car radio listening, Navigauge equips cars with a videotape-size device that tracks radio tuning. The device also uses global positioning software, which could potentially be used to provide data about outdoor exposure.  “Navigauge’s passive in-car measurement devices are vastly superior to the diary methodologies still used to monetize over $20 billion annually in U.S. radio advertising,” said Frank Maggio, chairman and CEO for erinMedia.»

Ou seja, a Navigauge apareceu cedo de mais...

Etiquetas: PPM, Arbitron, MediaAudit

«Arbitron announced yesterday that, effective with the Winter 2007 survey, radio survey participants in diary-based markets will have the option to use an Internet-based, electronic diary in place of the standard paper and pencil survey tool.

“We want to give Internet-savvy respondents the option to use an up-to-date survey tool that better fits their lifestyle and habits,” said Ed Cohen, vice president, Domestic Research, Arbitron Inc. “ The Arbitron eDiary has the potential to increase survey participation from younger adults, a population that currently tends to be under-represented among paper and pencil diary keepers.”

An image of the eDiary can be viewed here. »

fonte: Radio Ink, 1/11/06, «Arbitron Radio Diary Goes Electronic»

Este texto de Mark Ramsey chama a atenção para uma grave lacuna na medição da Arbitron: basicamente, o sistema só mede o FM e o AM (agora vai começar a contar as rádios não comerciais), esquecendo o satélite e o HD. isto é importante para o desenvolvimento comercial dos novos suportes... Mas também porque...

«Implication: More Internet and Satellite radio listening will recorded. Lower shares for your terrestrial station.»

Seria surpreendente se isto se confirmasse, mas para já fica a indicação:

«Reuters reports that a turf war could be brewing as TV ratings service Nielsen Media Research said yesterday it was in talks with the radio industry about possibly tracking listening audiences.

A spokeswoman for Nielson – which is owned by VNU – said, "We are in discussions with the evaluation team to see whether it makes sense for Nielsen to enter the measurement of radio.”

Nielsen's move comes as Arbitron is trying to win industry approval for its portable people meter. Additionally, Arbitron is also facing competition for its ratings business from Media Audit/Ipsos and their Smart Cellphone system.

Nielsen split with Arbitron in March, ending an agreement reached in 2000 which gave Nielsen an option to commercially deploy the portable people meter for TV measurement.»

fonte: «Nielsen In Talks About Radio Ratings», radio Ink, 11/9/06

O PPM da Arbitron recebe habitualmente duas grande criticas: que é complicado trazer um aparelho que não serve para mais nada e que só detecta as rádios que codificam um sinal interno. Ora a esta - e principal - acusação acabam de responder com a possibilidade de detectarem tambem as rádios que não se condificarem:

«Arbitron has announced that it is field testing the addition of an audio matching capability to the Portable People Meter electronic ratings system which would allow the PPM to track audiences to radio stations that choose not to encode their signals.

Arbitron says the dual-function meter is capable of identifying a radio station using two methods of detection using existing Portable People Meter hardware»

fonte: «Arbitron Field Tests A PPM That Tracks Unencoded Radio Stations», Radio Ink, 14/9/06

A Media AUdit/Ipsos labora em favor do seu telemóvel, contra o pager da Arbitron (PPM).

«A recent radio study shows 35% to 40% of participants in the study are more likely to routinely carry a cell phone than a pager device to measure radio audiences. This is one of the many findings of a telephone study of 1,000 randomly selected adults commissioned by The Media Audit/Ipsos, one of two companies competing for the US electronic radio ratings contract» (fonte: «New Study Indicates Pager-like Device May Be Reason for Lower Listening Levels with PPM», MediaAudit, 21/7/06)

«Arbitron announced today that it has begun installing its Portable People Meter (PPM^SM) system among Philadelphia-area consumers for the all-electronic radio ratings service, which is scheduled to replace the current paper and pencil diary method that the company has employed to collect radio audience estimates in Philadelphia since the late 1960s. Arbitron is recruiting a panel of 2,040 consumers (age 6 and older) to carry the Portable People Meter, a cell phone-sized device that automatically detects inaudible station identification codes. The first release of radio ratings will take place after the completion of an audit report by the Media Rating Council® (MRC) and a review of the audit report findings with the MRC radio committee. The MRC audit process in Philadelphia currently is under way.»

fonte: «Arbitron Installs First Households For Rollout Of Portable People Meter Ratings Service In Philadelphia», 31/08/06, Arbitron

The tests are the lead-up to the full market test, and the company will start recruiting for the full market test in the fall. The results of those tests will be released this winter. If The Media Audit/Ipsos system is selected as the electronic radio ratings service, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago will be the first three markets to be surveyed after the completion of the full market test in Houston. The company plans to provide the service to 12 markets in 2007 if adopted.

The Media Audit/Ipsos system uses a Smart Cell Phone to capture the ratings data, so there is no hardware to manufacture for listeners to carry»

fonte: «Media Audit, Ipsos Plan First Measured Markets», Radio Currents Online, 7/8/06

«“Instead of waiting as long as a month for a ratings report that only reflects the average audience for the previous three months, radio station executives will now have a single week of reliable audience ratings to see how a programming strategy is working. And thanks to the reliability of the PPM ratings, programmers won’t have to resort to home-brew, back-of-the envelope extrapolations of Arbitron data that can lead to misleading conclusions about the behavior of the radio audience. With PPM, when you run a strong promotion, make a personality or format change, you'll have credible audience feedback within weeks."» (Gary Marince, VP, Programming Services, Arbitron Inc)

fonte: Radio Ink, «Radio One Softens Stance On Houston PPM», 25/8/06

«A report by Arbitron shows their Portable People Meter measures large listening increases during major sporting events especially those with afternoon and early evening start times. These big increases in sports radio listening were recorded during major sporting events such as World Cup Soccer, the NFL Football Draft and regular local team games»

fonte: «PPM Indicates Large Listening Increases During Major Sporting Events», radio Ink, 25/7/06

«Media Audit has released the results of what they’re calling "landmark" study of 1,000 adults in which they gave consumers a choice: cellphone or pager. Media Audit says consumers would be far more likely to participate in a research study using a cell phone rather than a pager-like device. Not surprisingly, Arbitron disagrees with Media Audit’s findings.

“This is a landmark study," said Bob Jordan, president of The Media Audit. "The research shows adults are 3.5 times more likely to agree to participate in a panel study using a cell phone (66%) versus 18% who would agree to carry a pager. These findings coincide with common sense and put a dimension to what most people already believe. The cell phone is an integral part of people's lives today. The less disruptive the monitoring device, the more inclined people are to cooperate. Greater cooperation leads to more reliable and accurate research. Of the monitoring devices that are being used today, cell phones are the least intrusive to our life styles. This is why we say the cell phone is the simple, common sense solution for media measurement today and for tomorrow."

Arbitron VP/Communications Thom Mocarsky responded, saying “landmark” is “an awfully big word to describe a telephone survey that asked a single question among only 1,000 people. That's exactly half the size of the number of people who have been carrying PPMs in Houston for the past year.”

Mocarsky continued, “Arbitron never describes the PPM as a ‘pager’ to consumers. We call it a ‘Personal Meter.’” And, he added, “Arbitron has shown in real field trials in a real radio market that people really do carry the PPM.”

Mocarsky concluded, “Never forget that the PPM system measures compliance every day. We know when and for how long people participate. We are way past ‘if you were to agree.’"»

fonte: «Arbitron Disputes Media Audit Study», radio Ink, 21/7/07

«Nielsen Media Research said Wednesday (June 14) that it would integrate TV and Internet measurement, add ratings for viewing on such portable devices as cell phones and iPods, and gave a firm date of 2011 for the end of paper diaries in even the smallest markets. (...) Nielsen's multifaceted approach will begin to answer many of the questions that are swirling around the industry these days, which is being reinvented around the digital revolution in video. One of the most intriguing is the integration of TV and online measurement, by tracking video programming delivered on the Web through its Nielsen//NetRatings unit, and adding the Internet to its People Meter sample that will give the industry what could be its first comprehensive look at viewing on TV and broadband(...)»

fonte: «Nielsen Ratings To Add Net, Cell Phones, iPods» June 15, 2006,Paul J. Gough, The Hollywood Reporter

A Arbitron acaba de anunciar que alargou a sua amostra de diários de 100 mil para 125 mil!!!

«Arbitron will boost the sample size of its RADAR network radio ratings service by twenty-five percent from 100,000 diarykeepers to 125,000 diarykeepers.

Starting with the release of RADAR 89 this month, more than 6,000 diaries were added to the sample of the most current quarter of the RADAR report, going from the current sample size of 100,000 diaries to 106,299 diaries. By the release of RADAR 92 in March 2007, the RADAR radio network service will be based on an annual sample size of 125,000 diarykeepers.» (fonte: Arbitron Increases RADAR Sample Size By 25%, Radio Ink, 19/6/06)

Ou seja, o PPM vai demorar muito até substituir os diários?

Nem de propósito: «The showdown comes as the industry has decided that the old diary system is an antiquated, unreliable embarrassment. Spurring the desire for change is the lackluster growth in radio advertising revenue, along with competition from advertising media like the Internet, which can show exactly how many people visited various Web sites and how long they stayed. "We're in an electronic age," says Joel Hollander, chairman and chief executive of CBS Radio. "We need more instantaneous measurement."

Radio companies say they could win a bigger chunk of ad dollars if they could prove exactly how much people listen to the radio. Arbitron's solution is the People Meter, a small device that clips onto a belt loop or slides into a purse. It automatically detects what stations its wearers are tuned in to and beams back that information to the number crunchers» (fonte: «Radio Stations, Arbitron Clash
Over How to Tally Listeners», WSJ.com, SARAH MCBRIDE, June 19, 2006; Page B1), via Clube de Jornalistas

A Arbitron decidiu adiar o arranque da primeira experiência nos EUA de medição de audiências de rádio com recurso ao PPM:

«Arbitron stands by its commitment to not replace diary-based radio ratings in Houston with Portable People Meter radio ratings until the Houston PPM service receives Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation. As a result, the July 2006 PPM data will not be the first release of "currency" ratings in Houston.

What the Houston market can expect:

Arbitron will continue to measure the Houston radio market using its current diary-based methodology. The Summer 2006 survey will begin as scheduled on Thursday, June 29, 2006.

The Spring 2006 quarterly survey diary ratings reports for Houston will begin releasing on July 25, 2006. The Arbitrends Phase 1 report of Summer 2006 survey will be released on its normal schedule.

Arbitron will continue to release monthly radio and television demonstration data from the 2,000 person PPM ratings panel in Houston. The July PPM demonstration data is scheduled to be released on August 17th. Subsequent monthly releases will continue as scheduled»

fonte: «Arbitron On PPM Launch: “Houston, We Have A Delay», 13/6/06, radio Ink

«Arbitron announced yesterday that four leading radio groups – Bonneville International Corporation; Emmis Communications Corporation; Greater Media, Inc. and Lincoln Financial Media – have entered into multi-year agreements for Portable People Meter radio ratings when the new audience ratings technology is deployed in the 50 markets encompassed in Arbitron’s previously announced PPM rollout plan.

Arbitron plans to launch the Portable People Meter system as its radio ratings service to the top 50 markets, beginning with Houston in July 2006, pending Media Rating Council accreditation»

fonte: Four Leading Radio Groups Sign Agreements For Arbitron PPM, 9/6/06,

http://www.radioink.com/headlineentry.asp?hid=133896&pt=inkheadlines

«The bottom line is that Arbitron, Media Audit, the radio industry, or others will need to do massive amounts of further research testing before determining whether or not the cell phone can function as a media measurement device. As of today, there are many unanswered questions about the suitability of the cell phone for this purpose»

fonte: «Edison On Cell Phone As Media Measurement Device: “Massive” Amounts Of Further Research Needed», radio Ink 6/6/06

A cadeia gigante CBS anunciou que vai passar a trabalhar com o PPM para medição de audiências nos EUA.

Isto motiva um comentário na RBR:

«RBR observation: Is it all over? Has PPM won? Not necessarily. CBS is a big fish, but Clear Channel is even bigger in radio. Should the remaining members of the Next-Gen group disagree with CBS and select the Media Audit/Ipsos entry for radio ratings, CBS would eventually have to go along. Arbitron's PPM is dependent on broadcasters encoding, leaving gaps where stations refuse to do so - as Cox and Radio One have demonstrated in Houston. One of the attractions of the Media Audit/Ipsos system is that it prefers encoding, but still produces ratings via sound-matching for stations that refuse to encode. We hear that a handful of other significant group owners, including some Next-Gen members, are considering signing PPM agreements as CBS has done. But the opera ain't over until the fat lady sings - and the fat lady lives in San Antonio.»

«Arbitron on Monday announced that global market information group TNS has inked a two-year deal to use Arbitron's Portable People Meter to collect both radio and television audience data in London. TNS already uses the PPM to collect audience data in several markets worldwide.

The United Kingdom's radio ratings provider RAJAR has partnered with BARB – the UK's official television measurement body - in commissioning the joint study.

The study will measure over 50 national and local television and radio stations across four platforms: analog, digital radio and television, and the Internet. The TNS panel will operate in parallel to RAJAR's current ratings system, but will not be integrated into those results.»

fonte: «Arbitron's PPM Set For London Panel», 22/05/06 Radio Ink

Mais: «As audiências de rádio e televisão na zona de Londres vão ser medidas com audímetros portáteis a partir de Janeiro de 2007. A Rajar (consórcio britânico que mede as audiências do mercado radiofónico no Reino Unido) anunciou ontem a escolha do PPM, o audímetro da norte-americana Arbitron - dispositivo que a Marktest testou com rádios e televisões portuguesas em 2004. A operação ascende aos 4,4 milhões de euros.

A decisão era aguardada com expectativa. O mercado britânico de rádio é composto por mais de 300 estações a emitir em analógico, digital e na Internet - o que dificulta a medição. Para além do PPM, a Rajar testou o Smart Phone da Ipsos e, numa última fase, a proposta da Eurisko.

Os audímetros portáteis permitem medir o consumo fora do lar. O PPM é um aparelho que capta os sinais específicos embebidos em emissões de rádio ou televisão.

De acordo com a Rajar, nos dois primeiros anos serão disponibilizadas semanalmente as audiências de 50 rádios e das televisões aderentes na região de Londres - um mercado de mais de seis milhões de pessoas.

No entanto, as medições das televisões servem, numa primeira fase, para testar a tecnologia. É que a Rajar associou a esta empreitada não só a empresa que mede as audiências de rádio no Reino Unido, Ipsos Mori, como a sua homóloga para a televisão RSMB, que faz os estudos de audiência da BARB [Broadcasters Audience Research Board].» DN 23/5/06, http://dn.sapo.pt/2006/05/23/media/audimetros_portateis_2007.html

Parece que não...

«"We've heard a lot of discussion about how stations should do things differently to succeed in 'a PPM world,'" said Coleman. "Our belief, based on both years of experience and extensive analysis of PPM data, is that the things that have always made great stations successful will continue to do so when PPM data becomes the ratings currency."

Dunkin added, "If radio programmers can view their stations from the outside like listeners do - and understand that listeners do not care, are not paying attention, have extremely simplistic perceptions and attitudes about radio and listen for instantaneous need fulfillment - and program and brand their stations accordingly, their chances of achieving ratings success under the PPM system will be bolstered significantly."

«“Our belief, based on both years of experience and extensive analysis of PPM data, is that the things that have always made great stations successful will continue to do so when PPM data becomes the ratings currency.”»

«“Radio stations will have a lot more success under PPM if they spend less time thinking about how to game the system and more time developing compelling programming and building strong brands.”»

fonte: «Coleman Addresses “PPM Myths” For Houston Programmers», Radio Ink, 2/5/06

Quando a Clear Channel anunciou que escolheu três sistemas para a fase final daquilo que pretende que venha a ser o seu sistema de medição alternativo, houve um do qual nada se soube (os outros dois são o PPM e o telemóvel da MediaAudit/Ipsos). Finalmente, a Mediamark Research esclarece pormenores: vai apresentar-se com o já conhecido Eurisko Media Monitor:

«Mediamark's entry is based on the Eurisko Media Monitor, developed by a related company in Europe. Unlike Arbitron's PPM, which requires stations to encode to be counted, the Eurisko device uses sound matching, where snippets of sound from the device carried by a panelist are compared against electronically monitored broadcasts. Mediamark Research's VP of Research and New Ventures Jay Mattlin says the system will be able to calculate shares for all stations, regardless of whether they subscribe or wish to participate. As for the third competitor, The Media Audit/Ipsos system using Smart Cell Phones, Mattlin questions whether it is a good idea to use the microphones built into cell phones "which are really designed to block out extraneous noise" to better pick up the user's voice. While Arbitron has been testing for months in Houston and The Media Audit/Ipsos is preparing for a spring test, also in Houston, Mediamark Research doesn't have any US test on the drawing board. "That's really up to the industry. We are not planning to fund one on our own," Mattlin said. As for proof of performance, he points to the results of tests by RAJAR, which has been comparing PPM and the Eurisko device for radio ratings use in the UK. Mattlin says his company has talked with Clear Channel (which launched the RFP process) about a potential US roll-out schedule, but that's not being disclosed outside the evaluation process.

"I think that our device has the advantage that I mentioned before - - it doesn't rely on the cooperation the broadcaster, and at the same time has a slightly longer track record than the Ipsos/Media Audit one," Mattlin said, noting that the Media Monitor has gone through RAJAR field testing, while the Ipsos system has not. "I also, just from my perspective, think that the look of the device is very appealing," he added. And he noted that there are ways for the battery life to be extended so it does not have to be recharged every night. "It would still pick up as much audio as the PPM does, but doesn't have to be recharged as frequently," Mattlin said.

RBR observation: Now this is where the fun begins and it comes down to the Next-Generation Electronic Ratings Evaluation Team but for the most part only two are the real keys to opening this lock. As for one of the keys RBR has stated from the beginning - Money - and lots of it as this quote from Jay Mattlin sums it up - "That's really up to the industry. We are not planning to fund one on our own," just as Nielsen said it was not interested in being a part of the funding or Money»

fonte: «Mediamark Research says its device trumps cell phones, PPM», RBR, Volume 23, Issue 61, Jim Carnegie, 28/3/06)

«In a Wall Street conference call yesterday arranged by Bear Stearns, The Media Audit President Bob Jordan revealed that his company will propose a roll-out schedule even more aggressive than the one that Arbitron unveiled for its Portable People Meter earlier this month (3/15/06 RBR #52). Jordan said The Media Audit/Ipsos will commit to deploying its Smart Cell Phone-based electronic audience measurement system in 11 markets in 2007. "We can move fast in America because it's already been done in Europe," said The Media Audit Exec. VP Phillip Beswick. He also said that the proposed system will be entering phase one of the accreditation process with the Media Ratings Council in a few weeks, with completion expected in 6-12 months. Look for pricing information in a few weeks, but Jordan says it will be "very competitive." And if its proposal is accepted by the radio industry, The Media Audit/Ipsos plans to start talking with TV owners as well about competing with Nielsen.(...)».

(fonte: «Ratings RFP selection in high gear» RBR News, Volume 23, Issue 58, Jim Carnegie, March 23rd, 2006) 

Relativamente a este caso, surgem notícias de que há cada vez mais apoio para o sistema da MediaAudit, o que não pode deixar de ser interpretado como uma espécie de cartão amarelo ao PPM - afinal a indústria não está tão convencida como parece.

Agora é a CBS Radio, depois da Radio One e da Cox: «"We are impressed with how quickly The Media Audit /IPSOS team is hitting its milestones in bringing the radio industry an alternative electronic ratings service. The Media Audit/Ipsos formally applied to the evaluation committee in December and is now preparing for a market test 3 months later. That's impressive. Clearly they have a plan and they know what they are doing." commented Hollander.» (http://www.radioink.com/headlineentry.asp?hid=132847&pt=inkheadlines)

«Arbitron said the conversion from its current paper-based diary method would begin with Houston in July, with plans to convert the top 10 radio markets by the fall of 2008 and the top 50 within three years following that. ». No entanto, «To date, only two broadcasters - Spanish Broadcasting and Beasley Broadcasting - have committed to its use, even though most of Madison Avenue's biggest radio buyers have endorsed the service».

Além disso: «Some influential radio broadcasters, especially, Clear Channel Communications, have been fishing for an alternative to the PPM. Clear Channel recently issued a request for proposals for a new, state-of-the-art electronic radio audience measurement system, and last week narrowed the list of candidates to three finalists including Arbitron, Mediamark Research Inc. and The Media Audit, all of whom have some form of passive radio audience measurement. The Clear Channel-lead initiative, which includes Madison Avenue executives, is expected to make a final selection and begin a field test soon».

Fonte: «Arbitron Begins Portable People Meter Rollout», Media Daily News, Joe Mandese, Tuesday, Mar 14, 2006 8:01 AM EST

«As their system is being tested in England, the Media Audit is now requesting permission from Houston radio station owners to encode their signals in order to conduct a test of their Smart Cell Phone system of electronic media measurement.»

Mais: «Radio One Houston properties are the first Houston stations to agree to encode their signals as part of a series of tests The Media Audit will be conducting with its Smart Cell Phone media monitor (...). Abernethy said, "It is well recognized that the radio industry needs to move to an electronic measurement. I appreciate the efforts that Arbitron has put into testing its proposed solution. At the same time, we need more information and more ways to sell the advertising strengths of radio. The Media Audit/Ipsos solution addresses this need for more information as it includes multiple media platforms as well as retail information. I am encouraged with The Media Audit/Ipsos Smart Cell Phone solution as it addresses many concerns that we and others in the industry share about the potential flaws in electronic measurement." (Radio Ink, «Radio One Agrees To Encode Houston Stations For Smart Cell Phone Media Measurement Testing»).

Why Smart Cell Phones are a Better Media Measuring Device

The cell phone is an integral part of people's daily lives, which makes it the ideal mode for passively monitoring activities from media exposure to retail activity. Our proposed passive measurement system incorporates the latest technology into smart phones for measuring radio, television, radio and television streaming via the internet, cable, satellite television, billboards and other out-of-home media.

Cell phones are a part of our culture. We take them everywhere we go. A popular online web site notes, "With high levels of mobile telephone penetration, a mobile culture has evolved, where the cell phone becomes a key social tool." Cell phones have been adopted faster than any other consumer product or service from its inception to its penetration in the market. In less than twenty years, mobile phones have gone from being rare and expensive pieces of equipment used by businesses to a pervasive low-cost personal item.

Over the past ten years, the number of Americans carrying a cell phone has increased by 500 percent for an estimated 200 million people. Based on this estimate, 70% of Americans have a cell phone. In addition, a recent NPD survey shows Smart Phone penetration up seven percent during the third quarter of 2005.

Using a smart phone that carries specially developed software from Ipsos, this solution offers a number of unique advantages over other proposed media measurement devices:

- The cell phone is a familiar device. It is more likely that respondents will carry around a cell phone than other types of proposed meter devices.
- Smart Phones can continue to monitor media exposure in places where users would be required to turn their cell phones off. Users can put them on "quiet mode" wherein the phone won't ring but can be used for other functions that includes the ability to monitor media exposure. The "always on" feature will result in greater accuracy in the data.
- Finally, cell phones are gaining use for playing music, audio and video downloading, playing interactive games, and even conducting credit card transactions.
- Continuing advances in cell phone technology and increases in usage underscores why The Media Audit/Ipsos Smart Phone will be able to measure radio audiences that a pager type meter will not be able to measure.» (fonte: Radio Marketing Nexus, Audience Measurement by Smart Phone?, Posted by Mark Ramsey on February 23, 2006)

A empresa que realiza as audiências em Espanha comunicou que suspendeu o processo, depois de ter encontrado indícios de fraude. A Cadena COPE reagiu, dizendo ter realizado uma investigação que o prova...

«The only details revealed are buried in careful language, the lawyers obviously consulted. AIMC “detected the existence of false interviewers within the field-work groups attempting to manipulate the survey data.”  The AIMC Board, said the release, continues to investigate. Pending that, the first survey wave (January through March) might be called off. Wednesday night, early by Spanish custom but yet quite dark, Radio COPE’s Lantern program announced an investigation by its journalists, led by sports director Jose Antonio Abellán, had been conducted to “demonstrate fraud” within the EGM. The network had, by its own admission, infiltrated its “journalists” into the field-work groups.»

Mais: «Madrid, 10 de Marzo de 2006. La Junta Directiva de la Asociación para la Investigación de los Medios de Comunicación (AIMC), responsable de la realización del Estudio General de Medios (EGM) en su reunión de hoy 10 de marzo de 2006, ha decidido por unanimidad incoar expediente de sanción a la Cadena COPE con propuesta de expulsión por faltas muy graves atendiendo a lo indicado en los estatutos de la asociación».

«La Cadena COPE pide, a la luz de los resultados de este trabajo de investigación, que se ponga en marcha de forma inmediata una auditoria sobre el sistema de medición de las audiencias que utiliza el EGM por el bien de las empresas, de los anunciantes y de la audiencia que tiene la radio española»

O grupo GfK tinha vários sistemas de medição electrónica, desde o sistema Eurisko, passando pelos relógio "radiocontrol" e "mediawatch".

Sobre o Radiocontrol, sabe-se que: «has been used in the UK for measurement of exposure to radio and TV by the Wireless Group since 2003. In the UK and across Europe, the technology has been used to measure in-home and out-of-home TV viewing of ‘hard to reach’ groups, and for cross media research on behalf of leading media agencies and international media owners.» De acordo com os seus responsáveis, «RADIOCONTROL is the electronic audience measurement system developed by Telecontrol, part of the GfK Group. RADIOCONTROL is a passive, electronic audience measurement device built into a wristwatch. Respondents are typically asked to wear the watch for a week during which time a built-in microphone records a short, four-second sequence of sound during each minute of the surveyed week. These sounds are stored not as sound files, but in a heavily compressed, digitised format, representing no more than audio ‘fingerprints’ of the original files. At the end of the surveyed week, the data from the watches are downloaded, and these listening records matched to a set of audio samples of every TV station and radio station monitored in the survey. If an audio fingerprint stored on the watch during a particular minute matches the sound sample of a particular station during the same minute, we may infer that this watch was exposed to this station at this time. By matching the sound samples recorded each minute by each watch to the stations’ broadcast output, it is possible to build up a minute-by-minute record of each respondent’s TV and radio listening. After extensive laboratory and field tests, the technology has been used in the national radio audience measurement system in Switzerland since 2000. In Great Britain, the system has been tested and trialled since 2001. In March 2003, The Wireless Group commissioned GfK to launch a continuous national survey of viewing and listening using RADIOCONTROL, from which the data for this analysis are drawn».

A rádio do futuro terá ainda mais mobilidade, será mais portátil mas mais difusa. Não haverá um aparelho chamado "rádio" e as (novas) empresas de rádio serão fornecedores de conteúdos audio (não apenas).

Neste cenário em que o webcasting terá prevalência, em que a rádio chegará por todos os lados e não apenas pelo ar - como agora - será que o PPM (e os aparelhos de medição electrónica passiva em geral) está adaptado às novas circunstâncias? Ou será que o investimento brutal que será preciso fazer, por exemplo nos EUA, se mostrará desajustado alguns anos depois (um pouco como o DAB?)?

A questão é que, como mostra este texto, «As we saw forty years ago, a period of change for the medium can precipitate a change in measurement» (North, Nick e van Meurs, Lex,  «Radio Zapping», ESOMAR/ARF WAM, June 2004). Nesse sentido, a medição electrónica, tal como a conhecemos agora, não servirá para a nova realidade que se avizinha...

«The minute-by-minute, mechanical measurement of radio audiences was first introduced in 1942. AC Nielsen’s Audimeter registered each movement of the radio tuning dial with the scratch of a stylus on a roll of paper tape, storing the information in a cartridge, which at the end of each survey period was mailed back to the company for analysis. From 1950 until 1963, the Audimeter-based Nielsen Radio Index served the US radio industry as its official currency. Technological change and legislative action brought about its demise:

The sales of new, portable transistor radios starting in the late 1950s and the advent of stereo FM broadcasting in 1963, adding to the already growing number of channels that could be received, undermined the practicability of the system;

In the same year, the radio ratings industry was in the dock, with a Congressional Hearing concluding that, based as they were on statistical estimates, all ratings were “inherently imperfect”.

Nielsen abandoned minute-by-minute measurement of radio, and the industry moved to a diary-based survey of radio audiences – an established methodology which was not without criticism. As one contemporary commentator noted in 1954: “…the placing of diaries can be a haphazard method scientifically, since many people refuse to accept them, which could throw an entire sample out of kilter. Also, there is a tendency to neglect filling out the diary until the last day of the week. Here, too, memory is unreliable and people will put down anything that comes into their heads—including, occasionally, shows which haven’t been on the air for years... As comedian Herb Shriner put it, “If you stop a woman leaving a supermarket and ask her to tell you everything she just bought, she won’t be able to. So how can she be expected to remember what she listened to a week ago?” Bill Davidson, “Who Knows Who’s on Top,” Collier’s, 29 October 1954.»

North, Nick e van Meurs, Lex,  «Radio Zapping», ESOMAR/ARF WAM, June 2004.

(obrigado Jorge)

Desenvolvimentos do processo iniciado pela Clear channel para criar um sistema autónomo de medição de audiências, contra a hegemonia do PPM:

«Three advance for radio ratings
The Next-Generation Electronics Ratings Evaluation Team - - the new name for the multi-company team evaluating responses to Clear Channel’s RFP - - has selected three finalists for a new, electronic radio ratings system. MediaAudit/Ipsos, Arbitron (PPM) and Mediamark Research are being invited to provide more details later this month, with some then to be invited to proceed to a live test stage - - with commercial implementation of a new radio ratings system still targeted before the end of this year. (...) "The evaluation team was impressed with the ingenuity and proven track record of several of the finalists and is particularly interested in the cell phone as a measurement device," said Clear Channel Radio Sr. VP of Research Jess Hanson. RBR observation: Not really any surprises here. The three finalists were the ones known last year to already have a working portable measurement device, so no one has made it through to the finals with some new wizbang proposal that no one had seen before. Hanson’s comment about the evaluation team’s interest in using cell phones is good news for MediaAudit/Ipsos, which is known to be using such a device, but potentially bad for Arbitron, which sees problems with using cell phones and has resisted incorporating PPM into cell phones. (...) The third finalist, Mediamark Research, continues to decline to make any public comment about its entry. Its proposed system is believed to use the Eurisko Media Monitor, which was developed by a related company.»

fonte: RBR news, Volume 23, Issue 49, Jim Carnegie, Friday Morning March 10th, 2006

Sobre o uso do telemóvel como medidor/IPSOS:«The Media Audit reports that its Smart Cell Phone meter will measure broadcast audiences via watermarking (encoding) and audio matching. Watermarking involves encoding radio and television signals with an inaudible or invisible encrypted watermark code. Encoding involves the cooperation of broadcasters to insert a code into their transmissions. The watermark code is detected by the Smart Phone meter and provides the measurement of the stations that each respondent is listening to and/or viewing. The encrypted data is stored and transmitted back to the data
center on a daily basis.»

 PPM will provide never-before-available insight into station switching patterns and loyalty. For example, 58% of P1s switch their P1 station at least once over an eight-week period.

* The diary-based methodology and PPM agree that P1 listening drives the vast majority of the AQH rating, even with the much larger cume shown in the PPM.

* The longitudinal nature of PPM will provide for more stable ratings on a period-by-period basis, leading to more accurate data to assess the impact of programming and marketing initiatives.

Among issues before the industry:

* Understanding the effect and impact on measurement error of smaller, longitudinal samples of consumers versus cross-sectional diarykeepers.

* How and if the industry will benchmark or adjust for the ratings differences created from the switch to PPM, where consumers are listening to more stations but less to any given station.

(excerto da notícia: «White Paper Heralds PPM Potential», Billboard Radio Monitor,March 01, 2006, By Chuck Taylor)

«Arbitron’s Portable People Meter (PPM) is going to be a radio only ratings system. Nielsen Media Research has decided not to exercise its option for a joint venture with Arbitron to deploy PPM commercially across the US. Nielsen says it may license PPM for use in measuring out-of-home viewing, but is evaluating other options for measuring in-home viewing. (...) "We recognize the appeal of a portable, single source measurement tool. While it may offer considerable benefits for radio research, we believe that a one-size-fits-all measurement system is not the approach for a currency in today’s complex television markets," said Nielsen Media Research CEO Susan Whiting. Nielsen said yesterday it had concerns about sample quality, including fault rates, said PPM’s definition of "audience" resulted in "large and still unexplained increases in television viewership," which it attributed to PPM being designed to measure radio rather than TV, said that costs would be high and it appeared that TV would be subsidizing radio measurement, and questioned how many TV companies really support moving to PPM measurement. At Arbitron, CEO Steve Morris said his company will focus on its "radio only" option for rolling out PPM. Without having Nielsen as a partner, he noted that Arbitron will have "complete flexibility" for where and how to roll out PPM - - not mentioning that it will mean that the cost will be higher for radio broadcasters. Morris will hold a conference call with Wall Street analysts this morning to discuss the financial ramifications of the Nielsen decision to walk away. Just two days from now (3/3), Clear Channel is due to announce whether it and the radio groups which have joined in evaluating proposals submitted under its RFP on passive electronic radio audience measurement have selected PPM or one of its competitors as the best system to serve the US radio industry.»
(fonte: «Nielsen walks; PPM to be radio only»)

O presidente da Arbitron: «“I’m obviously disappointed since we and they [Nielsen] have invested a lot of time and effort in looking for a way to make this work,”(...) “Looking forward,” Morris added, “we now feel we’re free to focus on radio’s needs without having to negotiate trade-offs to accommodate television requirements.”» (fonte Billboard Radio Monitor, Arbitron's Morris: 'We're Disappointed', March 02, 2006, By Mike Boyle)

Electronic measurement as currently developed relies on two technical methods; watermarking and sound matching. Arbitron, developer of the Personal People Meter (PPM), uses a watermarking technique that embeds identifying codes in a stations transmitted signal. The Swiss-developed RadioControl device uses sound matching.  Eurisko settled on sound matching. Requiring stations to embed codes in their signals was considered “impractical,” according to Mezzasalma. “It gives power to the stations to discontinue the service,” he said. (...) According to Mezzasalma, who has carefully studied watermarking methods, the PPM requires five minutes to identify a signal. “Five minutes is a lot of time,” he said. “Television clients would find this unacceptable.”

Radio measurement is not uniformly organized throughout Europe. Where joint industry committees are in place, broadcasters – public and private – and the ad industry, decide what is measured and how it is done. More common are individual and competitive market research companies who determine methods and sell the service to broadcasters and media buyers. GfK and TNS Gallup provide media measurement services in several countries. GfK, the licensed provider of Radiocontrol, offers its service in the UK and has conducted tests for broadcaster groups in other countries.

(fonte: Italian Company Enters Radio Measurement Competition, Follow the Media, Michael Hedges February 1, 2005)

Depois da Clear Channel (o maior grupo de rádios dos EUA) ter dito que não concordava com os prazos de desenvolvimento do PPM, e ter iniciado um processo paralelo e concorrente à implantação do PPM, a Arbitron reage. Mantém o mesmo calendário, responde à proposta da Clear Channel e começa a mostrar a sua força: primeiro com múltiplas agências de puclicidade e agora com os concorrentes da Clear Channel. "Arbitron announced Spanish Broadcasting System has entered into a multi-year, multi-market agreement for Portable People Meter audience measurement services when deployed in its New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Miami markets (...) This is the second announcement of a radio broadcaster signature on a contract for PPM ratings services (Beasley Broadcasting signed on 1/31). Arbitron has been working to secure a critical mass of stations and agencies to allow it to go forward with PPM". (Radio Business Report, «SBS signs for PPM», Volume 23, Issue 4, Monday Morning February 27th, 2006)

Desenvolvimentos sobre o negócio da medição electronica de audiencias, nomeadamente na GB e em concreto sobre a exclusão do sistema da Mediawatch nos testes da RAJAR:

«After the GfK RadioControl watch was kicked out of the exhaustive test (“One of the devices clearly did not work,” said an anonymous observer close to the RAJAR board) RAJAR held up most of the scheduled trials so Ipsos could get it’s new gizmo together, a solid year after the others. Better to have three to choose from than only two.

The Ipsos gadget is based in a cellphone. The advantage being that compliance is always a problem and everybody carries a cellphone. And the Ipsos device will measure every platform – radio, TV, cable, internet – and have a GPS locator so maps can be drawn showing exposure to billboards and shopping centers. Does anybody want to see the privacy policy?

Certainly not ad agencies who love all data: good, bad or ugly. And since they make the broadcasters pay for it all, why not demand more, more, more?(...)

Arbitron’s Brad Bedford, in a telephone conversation last summer about the Ipsos cellphone, asked the very simple question: “Is somebody going to carry two cellphones, one with your address book and one to measure radio?”

Eurisko, now owned by GfK NOP, hasn’t entered the US battle. Typically cheerful VP Andrea Mezzasalma said “We can put the Media Monitor in anything; cellphone, pager, ballpoint pen.”

(fonte: Follow the Media, Ipsos Cellphone Radio Measuring Thing Maybe Included in RAJAR Tests, Michael Hedges February 24, 2006)

A grande vantagem deste sistema é que incorpora a ideia do PPM (uma sinal incorporado na emissão) com uma espécie de medidor de todos os sinais audio que se escutarem: "The Media Audit and Ipsos have joined forces to market a new passive media audience measurement system in the US. The two companies came together in response to the radio industry's interest in an alternative ratings service that will use  technology to monitor radio listening and include new ways to sell radio's advertising strengths...

"The Media Audit / Ipsos new audience measurement system includes two forms of monitoring software—an encoded watermark embedded in the broadcaster's audio signal and an audio matching technology that will measure broadcast signals of those stations that are not encoded. "The Smart Cell Phone, via the Ipsos software, monitors the individual's exposure to radio, other electronic media, the internet and out-of-home. In addition it has the facility to track retail shopping patterns via a GPS system...

"The Media Audit will initiate a field test of the Ipsos watermark software in mid-year 2006 in the U.S."» (fonte: http://www.kurthanson.com/archive/news/022406/index.asp)

A notícia da Billboard radio Monitor diz que a Aribtron vai passar a angariar clientes para os seus "diários" que tenham apenas telemóvel e não telefone da rede fixa.

Até agora os "voluntários" que preenchem os «diários» que suportam as audiências de rádio norte-americana são contactados via telefone fixo. Mas, diz a notícia, cresce o número de norte-americanos que têm apenas telemóvel: «For the first time ever, the ratings company will recruit diarykeepers by calling cell phones, starting in 2008. The development is significant because an increasing percentage of Americans rely exclusively on cell phones and have not been included in Arbitron ratings surveys».

A questão é outra: se as audiencias vão passar a ser medidas electronicamente, pelo PPM, esta medida é de curto-prazo. Claro que até o PPM estar implantado em todo o território norte-americano vão ser necessários vários anos, mas o sistema dos «diários» está condenado.

«“It’s a process that’s evolving,” Feinblatt tells Monitor. “Do I personally think it’s a better measurement? I think it probably is, but we still have some questions about it. We have some questions about cost and things like that . . . there are still some things that need to be vetted out and it’s an expensive proposition. We’re not going to rush to judgement.”»

Entretanto a Arbitron continua a tentar conseguir a acreditação do PPM: "As part of Arbitron's ongoing efforts to achieve Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation of the Portable People Meter (PPM), another phase of the independent audit of the PPM ratings system has been delivered to the Council. The audit was designed to authenticate and illuminate the procedures used in the PPM ratings system for radio and television. Any audience measurement service that desires accreditation is required to disclose to the MRC membership all of the methodological aspects of their service; meet MRC Minimum Standards For Media Rating Research; and submit to MRC designed audits. The membership then evaluates these audits and the Board grants accreditation if deemed warranted."

(e os problemas na medição de audiência)

«Understandably, measuring radio audiences is complicated: radio can be listened to virtually anywhere and there are literally hundreds of station areas to survey. The cost to the radio industry for this service is almost £4 million a year. RAJAR produce listening figures every three months based on the the response from 3,000 selected respondents who each compile a seven-day diary of their listening habits. While this may seem a time-consuming and old-fashioned method of measuring audiences, because radio is listened to in a variety of locations it is still felt to be the most reliable. Several types of radio-meters are being developed, but because they require respondents to carry or wear the meter at all times, their effectiveness is still in doubt". (Fleming, 2002: 15) 

«(...) BBC and the Commercial Radio Companies Association (CRCA) set up a radio industry research company - RAJAR Ltd - in 1992 which they jointly own. Prior to this, audience data were collected by two separate services: the BBC Daily Survey which monitored BBC radio, and the Joint Industry Committee for Radio Audience Research (JICRAR) for commercial stations. The problem with this was that different methodologies and the fact the figures were not independently produced cast doubt on their accuracy. As RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research) points out: "The creation of RAJAR has greatly improved overall confidence in radio as a medium over the years since 1992, principally because it provides a single accepted measure of radio listening"(www.rajar.co.uk).

(Fleming, 2002: 15) 

(e se a Arbitron, com tudo o que ela significa, tem estas falhas...)

Citações de Eric Norberg, ibidem, pág. 133-136

1) "El principal servicio estadístico es Arbitran, que utiliza cuestionarios distribuídos por correo, auto-administrados, de siete días, para recoger información de escucha radiofónica (...). Arbitron saca una muestra de la guía telef6nica para mandar los cuestionarios. En mi opinión, este proceder compromete aún más los datos";

2) "Como Arbitron comienza por una muestra de teléfonos de la guía se excluyen los no registrados en ella";

3) "(...) es que no pueden garantizar que van a obtener el mismo grado de cooperación de la muestra registada que de la no registrada. En cierto modo, entonces, las dos muestras no son equivalentes, y una puede distorsionar los resultados de la otra";

4) "(...) quienes voluntariamente no figuran en la guía - los que pagan una cantidad adicional para que no se les incluya en la guía telefónica- no suelen colaborar cuando se les pide el nombre y la dirección, ya que el entrevistador obviamente no sabe quiénes son y ha marcado ese número al azar. ¿Darían a cualquiera esa información? Pagan por su intimidad. Si al entrevistador no le dicen su nombre y dirección no pueden recibir el cuestionario y no se les incluirá en el informe";

5) "(...) pienso que el tamaño eficaz de la muestra, en el caso de los estudios de Arbitron, estaría mejor expresado por el número de «domicilios estudiados» y no por el número de cuestionarios del estudio, - lo cual representa un número sustancialmente menor. Creo que, para eliminar este efecto, debería contestar solamente una persona por domicilio".

6) "(...) cuando quienes participan en el estudio saben de antemano que serán estudiados, (como cuando reciben un cuestionario por anticipado) este conocimiento previo puede cambiar su conducta. Como Arbitran es la única empresa de estudios que ha proporcionado hasta ahora este conocimiento previo a la muestra con mucha antelación al esludio, es especialmente vulnerable a este inconveniente";

7)"(...) como Arbitron es la única empresa de estudios que debe saber el nombre y dirección de aquellos a quienes llama (para mandarles los cuestionarios) Arbitron es especialmente vulnerable al tema crítico de la intimidad";

8) "En todos los informes de Arbitron está comprobado que sólo una parte de quienes reciben los cuestionarios los devuelven";

"En resumen, todas las empresas de estudios fracasan en la obtención de una muestra verdaderamente representativa de la población. Sin embargo, la principal, Arbitron, con su sistema de etapas múltiples en la cooperación de los encuestados (contacto telefónico inicial, obtención de colaboración con los envíos postales, posterior necesidad de más colaboración para conseguir la devolución de los cuestionarios) y con las dificultades que significa el uso de encuestados múltiples en el mismo domicilio es, en mi opinión, la menos precisa de todas".     

Eis um estudo que mostra aquilo que já se suspeitava: a mesma rádio, no mesmo período de emissão, terá mais ouvintes, desde que medidos electronicamente (no caso com o PPM):

«According to Harmelin Media, the analysis shows conclusively that the increase in reach for individual radio stations also translates into greater reach for a wide range of commercial schedules. Results were consistent across every demographic and schedule type analyzed, with jumps in reach ranging from 13 percent to 118 percent. “This analysis conclusively demonstrated that the reach of radio far exceeds previous perceptions,” said Bernie Shimkus, director of research for Harmelin Media. “For advertising buyers, this means that radio can be used in more types of advertising campaigns, and purchased using different scheduling approaches. In addition, the findings were consistent with all stations and not just market leaders".»

Metodologia: "A new analysis conducted by Harmelin Media reveals that a change to Arbitron Portable People Meter ratings will result in a dramatic increase in audience reach for commercial schedules typically run on local radio stations. The 2005 study was co-sponsored by WBEB-FM and was made possible by the full participation of all major radio stations in Philadelphia during the Arbitron PPM market trial in 2002 and 2003. The Harmelin analysis used actual client radio schedules run in Philadelphia. Harmelin substituted Arbitron’s PPM radio audience estimates for estimates from the traditional diary-based ratings method." (Harmelin Study Reveals True Reach Of Radio Advertising & Benefits Of PPM, radio Ink, 25/1/06)

«“The Portable People Meter will give radio the visibility it desperately needs among advertisers who are focused on all things electronic and digital,” said Jon Mandel, chairman, MediaCom US and chief global buying officer, MediaCom Worldwide. “Electronic measurement and credibility go hand in hand with the Arbitron Portable People Meter".»

Num país com a dinâmica comercial dos EUA e uma indústria radiofónica poderosa, não poderia haver apenas uma empresa a fazer estudos de mercado em rádio. Seguem-se os dois principais competidores.  Mas o poderio nacional da Arbitron, que de alguma forma comenda a própria indústria a nível nacional, só tem uma explicação: o mercado, sobretudo o publicitário, não gosta do desconforto de ter dois números (ou mais...) que podem não coincidir (e se coincidirem, para que servem?):

- A NCW Research (antiga Willhight Research de Seattle), responsável por um Radio Audience Survey (Query- The question asks what stations has the respondent listened to in the past seven days. We probe for listenership at work and in respondents car. We probe for call letters, frequency (dial position), Band (AM or FM), Format, and Slogans/ Special Programs and Air Talent).

- A AccuRatings, de Chicago (tambem baseada em pesquisas telefónicas) "Esta empresa utiliza una controvertida técnica de entrevistas telefónicas que incluye preguntas sobre preferencias en lugar de preguntas sobre conductas" (Norberg, 1998: 133). "After the demise of the Birch ratings, Strategic Radio Research launched a service designed to fill the void called "AccuRatings".  Like Birch, AccuRatings utilized phone interview methodology, and also provided more detailed demographic information than Arbitron.  Unlike Birch, which queried people's listening habits over the previous day, AccuRatings asked people to name the station they thought of as their "most listened to".  Also unique to AccuRatings was the fact that no trending data was listed in their reports.  Instead, respondents were asked what station they most listened to six months in the past, the resulting figure was listed as the "Recalled Former Share" or RFS.  This gave an idea of a station's rise or decline based upon listener's perceptions rather than simple comparisons to past raw data."
 

E já que se fala na Birch Ratings, a principal competidora da Arbitron durante a década de 80 e inícios de 90: "While Arbitron relies on people to recall what they have listened over a seven-day period in a written diary, Birch utilized phone interviews to gather its data.  Respondents were asked to recall their radio listening over the prior twenty-four hours.  Because the phone methodology often yielded higher listening estimates for stations that targeted younger listeners, Birch became the favored ratings service in the eyes of top 40 and rock stations.  Birch also utilized its phone interviews to gather detailed qualitative information through a service it called Scarborough.  This allowed stations to obtain a clearer picture of the audience that was listening.  After Birch's demise, the Scarborough division was purchased by Arbitron, which still produces annual qualitative reports under that name".

Existem muitas outras empresas a fazer pesquisa de audiências, mas sem apresentarem um produto estruturado e regular (apenas o fazem a pedido de qualquer cliente), como a Mark Kassof & Co ou a Edison Media Research.

Pode ser a consagração definitiva do sistema da Arbitron:

«“It’s time for the radio industry to embrace electronic measurement so that it can be more accountable to advertisers. When Arbitron says they and the industry are ready to go with PPM, we’ll be the first to switch to Portable People Meter audience estimates in order to plan and buy radio.”»

Fonte: "Interpublic Group Commits To PPM System For Future Radio Planning & Buying"(Radio Ink) 

Actualização a 18/1/06:

Agências subscrevem PPM nos Estados Unidos	17 Janeiro 2006
Marktest.com (http://www.marktest.com/wap/a/n/id~9d9.aspx)

As agências de meios da WPP, Interpublic e Carat, nos EUA, fizeram acordo com a Arbitron para subscrever o PPM, o novo sistema de medição de audiências de rádio e televisão já testado em Portugal. (...) Em comunicado, a Arbitron cita Susan Nathan, Universal MacCann (Interpublic), que referiu a propósito: "Chegou a altura da indústria da rádio optar pelo sistema de medição electrónico para poder ser melhor mensurável para os anunciantes. Quando a Arbitrorn disser que eles e a indústria estão prontos para avançar com o PPM, nós seremos os primeiros a mudar para o PPM no planeamento e compra de espaço publicitário na rádio". Também Kathy Crawford, Mindshare (WPP) é citada pela Arbitron: "É vital que a rádio opte pelo sistema de medição electrónico antes que os anunciantes percam toda a confiança no meio. Apoiamos a Arbitron porque eles são a única opção viável de medição electrónica da indústria de rádio". Rob Frydlewicz da Carat Insight também afirmou que "No cada vez mais complexo meio ambiente dos media, o PPM é visto pela Carat como uma vantagem bem vinda na medição da audiência de rádio".

Os acordos cobrem as actividades de planeamento e compra de espaço publicitário baseadas nos Estados Unidos de agências como a Mindshare, Mediaedge:CIA, J. Walter Thompson USA, Wuderman (todas do Grupo WPP), Deutsch, Initiative ou Universal MacCann (Grupo Interpublic) e Carat USA.

A Arbitron está a considerar duas estratégias alternativas para a comercialização do sistema PPM nos Estados Unidos. Se a Nielsen Media Research aceitar a proposta que lhe foi endereçada pela Arbitron, será feita uma joint venture entre as duas empresas para oferecer um sistema de medição de audiências de rádio e de televisão. Se a Nielsen Media Research recusar esta proposta, a Arbitron avança sozinha com o serviço para o meio rádio.

Apesar destes acordos não comprometerem a Arbitron com uma data concreta para o lançamento do PPM, espera-se que a empresa apresente em Abril de 2006 os resultados dos testes que está a realizar em Houston, Texas e em 2007 possa cobrir mais seis novos mercados."

"(...) en la radio española existe un tremendo desfase entre audiencia (18 millones de oyentes) [segunda em audiencias, apenas ultrpassada pela televisão na hora-nobre] e inversión publicitaria (4º puesto de medios), y esto se debe a que el anunciante no confía en los datos de los estudios sobre audiencias. Este problema de inversión se debe solucionar mejorando los análisis y la medición de datos para que el anunciante minimice el riesgo de sus inversiones y mida los costes y resultados de las mismas. Falta investigación cualitativa para analizar el comportamiento de la audiencia respecto al consumo, y sobre todo para analizar el mensaje, su percepción, sus elementos y sus efectos." (in Publicidad radiofónica)

Em Espanha existem duas empresas a medir as audiencias de rádio: o Estudio General de Medios, da AIMC, e o novo Estudio General de Audiencias, da Sigma Dos. ESte estudo aparece como resposta a uma série de polémicas que acusavam o EGM de beneficiar a SER ("ante fallos clamorosos de EGM en casos que han llegado a tener menos audiencia de lectores que ejemplares impresos y vendidos, el doble control realizado para verificar ventas reales. En el mundo de la radio todos estos problemas se habían acrecentado últimamente llevando a José Antonio Sentís, director de Radio Nacional de España, a abandonar el EGM por lo que ya era evidentemente un mal trabajo profesional")

Como se pode ver aqui há diferenças entre os resultados (normal quando há dois estudos concorrentes) e nas metodologias. O EGA tem seis vagas por ano (com uma amostra mais reduzida), enquanto o mais consagrado, o EGM, quatro (como o Bareme). 

Uma diferença fundamental face a Portugal: os numeros não são segmentados por faixas etárias ou classes sociais, mas em valores absolutos (devido à dimensão do país e do mercado), por horas e por programas (o que tem a ver com o fenomeno local da rádio "de estrellas"). No entanto, essa falta de informação não deixa de ser uma fraqueza, porque não se conhece quem ouve o quê...

Mais: "dada la discrepancia con los resultados de otro estudio, el llamado Estudio General de Audiencias (EGA), publicado hace sólo unos días, se ha puesto en duda la validez del EGM, que supuestamente, según los críticos, sería favorable a la SER, frente a la COPE, que según el EGA tendría mucha mayor audiencia. (...) El EGA es realizado por una empresa de encuestas, Sigma Dos, sin ninguna verificación ni control de otras empresas. Aunque la página de Sigma Dos no lo cuenta, según RTVE, el EGA parece ser un estudio sólo de la audiencia de radio, con una muestra también muy amplia (12.000 entrevistas), y realizada telefónicamente."

Promovida y bajo la dirección de AIMC, en el municipio de Madrid, y durante cuatro semanas (con una muestra total de 944 individuos en las cuatro semanas) tuvo lugar en la primavera de 2003 la prueba de la medida de la audiencia de Radio a través de los audímetros reloj de Radiocontrol. Colaboraron en su financiación el Instituto GfK, propietario de los audímetros, las cadenas de radio Europa FM, COPE, Onda Cero y SER, y la Asociación de Agencias de Medios.

Los resultados de la prueba fueron presentados por el Instituto a mediados del mes de junio de 2003 (...). En términos generales, la medición de la escucha de radio a través de los audímetros de Radiocontrol se manifiesta válida y viable. En relación con el sistema actual,hay que decir que el dibujo de la escucha de radio viene a ser el mismo,si bien algunas de las cadenas pequeñas elevan su audiencia. Y se notaron como efectos más importantes: el aumento del reach diario para las cadenas individualmente consideradas; la disminución del consumo medio, y la disminución del tiempo de escucha medio.

"Desde el punto de vista de las estrategias de los operadores, la audienda dejó de ser un conglomerado de personas de diversa edad y condición social y cultural y se fue configurando en segmentos homogéneos, siempre en función del tipo de emisoras que escuchaban"

Marti Marti apud Martinéz-Costa e Moreno Moreno, 2004: 26

O mercado radiofónico olha com descrédito a ideia da Clear Channel, o segundo mais grupo de rádios dos EUA, de avançar com um sistema alternativo de medição electrónica, à margem daquele que a Arbitron está a testar com o PPM.

Preocupada com os atrasos e convicta de que as medições electrónicas mostrarão que há mais ouvintes na rádio (e mais publicidade...), a Clear lançou um concurso para criar um sistema próprio de medição. Responderam sete empresas, entre elas a própria Arbitron (que já se manifestou contra a ideia; mesmo assim...).

As sete seleccionadas são: "Arbitron, Integrated Media Measurement, MediaAudit/Ipsos, Mediamark Research, Paladin Adsolutions, RadioStat e Simmons".

“Each of the final proposals selected share common characteristics,” added Jess Hanson, Senior Vice President of Research for Clear Channel Radio. “The potential to provide information that is more accurate and timely than the current diary system, as well as the ability to gather radio listening data in a more ‘real life’ setting than a recall based methodology can. All finalists share the capability for multi-media measurement.”

A Clear Channel anuncia para 3 de Março do próximo ano uma decisão sobre as empresa e os métodos escolhidos à terceira fase, seguindo-se um período de testes, que está anunciado para a Primavera. A expectativa da Clear é que o sistema esteja no terreno no final de 2006.

Mais: pormenores sobre o sistema proposto pela Media Audit/Ipsos. "The companies’ system uses two types of software to measure listening: an encoded watermark embedded in a station’s signal and an audio matching technology that measures stations that are not encoded. A Smart Cell Phone that uses Ipsos’ software monitors its user’s exposure to various forms of electronic media will track these signals."

"According to CC's RFP, a rival service would have to fund a major demonstration of its service in the U.S. marketplace. The RFP also stipulates Media Rating Council accreditation, which means the ratings service has to have all its procedures and rules in place in order to undergo an audit. Arbitron is due to complete the second phase of the MRC's audit of the PPM this month, with final results expected sometime in January."

- mais cedo ou mais tarde as audiências de rádio passarão a ser electrónicas, evitando a interferência humana, como na TV (que beneficia do seu estatismo/imobilidade e de um mercado publicitário muito mais forte); Um registo electrónico portátil apanhará a escuta dentro e fora de casa (o que para a rádio é fundamental, ao contrário de um audímetro que pode estar fixo, a rádio é sobretudo movimento, é ubíqua); e registará por exemplo se uma pessoa se levanta durante um intervalo comercial;

- a entrada destes sistemas está muito atrasada (há vários anos que se fala no assunto, mesmo em Portugal…) e os primeiros testes públicos do PPM são de 2002 (Filadélfia); prosseguem agora em Houston (pormenores) ;

- a Arbitron, empresa com sede no Maryland, por força do seu poder hegemónico nos Estados Unidos (assegura as audiências "nacionais" de rádio), quer liderar com o PPM. Mas tem concorrência:

- o Eurisko, da sua filial italiana Media Monitor (seleccionado pela RAJAR britânica para os testes que decorrem, juntamente com o PPM);

- o Mediawatch, da subsidiária Suiça, Telecontrol.

Uma lista completa destas e de outras ofertas pode ser vista aqui.

Além das ofertas da GfK, há o audiometro ligado ao telefone portátil da IPSOS (RSL) Media, ou os aparelhos de origem norte-americana, MobilTrack (da Herndon) e Naviguage.

Diferenças entre o PPM e o Eurisko (em construção):O PPM apenas reconhece uma espécie de subonda (“audio encoding “) emitida pelas rádios que aderem ao sistema de medição de audiências (o que significa que aquelas que não quiserem aderir também não são registadas); já o Eurisko reconhece todos os emissores e todos os sons (“sound matching”). A Arbitron reclama que o PPM detecta sinais áudio analógicos ou digitais, vindos do ar, do cabo, do satélite ou da Internet. Mas no caso do teste de Houston, a Arbitron conseguiu a adesão dosprincipais gentes dos media e também, genericmente, das industrias culturais, mas os dois operadores via satélite ficaram de fora.

Os transportadores do PPM têm de o depositar todas as noites num carregador que além dessa função, também serve para enviar as informações para o computador central, onde as informações serão tratadas;

As imagens dos vários aparelhos aqui.

Prazos e testes:

- Vários especialistas têm afirmado que as medições electrónicas não estarão implementadas antes de 2009; a Arbitron diz que o seu PPM será uma realidade nos Estados Unidos em 2012 e que estará nos principais mercados em 2007. Mas nem todos parecem dispostos a esperar. Um dos principais operadores radiofónicos dos Estados Unidos, a Clear Channel (responsável por 20 por cento da facturação da Arbitron), já anunciou que vai avançar por si própria, tendo desafiado as empresas interessadas a apresentarem-se até final deste ano. A Arbitron, que se assustou e apressou os testes em Houston – a primeira cidade em serviço completo, em Abril de 2006, já disse que a Clear Channel está errada e que não faz sentido, para o mercado, haver dois resultados, dois números diferentes (porque dois estudos darão sempre valores diferentes, para perplexidade dos operadores);

Também na Grã-Bretanha tem havido contestação aos números da RAJAR (executados pela IPSOS), por parte do grupo Wireless, que argumenta que a amostra de “diários” não é rigorosa e que a leitura electrónica dá muito mais ouvintes (a IPSOS defende a manutenção do sistema de “diários” paralelamente ao electrónico). A RAJAR realizou o primeiro grande teste, envolvendo três sistemas (PPM, Eurisko e MediaWatch; esta última foi excluída da primeira fase) no final de 2004.

Os testes em Filadélfia e os actuais em Houston mostram o interesse nos EUA, mas foi na parte flamenga da Bélgica que o sistema teve a sua estreia, em Maio de 2003, por iniciativa do serviço público e rádio (cinco canais) e televisão. Através da TNS, o PPM da Arbitron ganhou contratos para medir audiências de rádio no Quénia (400 PPM em 2006) e na Noruega (também para a primeira metade de 2006, de 200 para 400 aparelhos). A Noruega promete ser o primeiro país a ter uma rede nacional de PPMs só para a rádio.

Não se conhecem testes envolvendo os sistemas concorrentes, embora se saiba que a BBC assinou em 2004 um contrato de pesquisa de audiências com a GfK, visando substituir o método dos “diários”.

Ainda assim há que reconhecer que pelo menos desde 2000 que o PPM anda a ser anunciado e prometido e que, experimentado noutros locais, compreende-se algum descontentamento por parte dos agentes norte-americanos (que alimentam a Arbitron). Sabe-se que o PPM começou  ser pensado em 1992 mas sofreu vários contratempos tecnológicos (a começar pela dúvida sobre a criação de um dispositivo que exija intervenção – activo – ou que registe sozinho, passivo?) e financeiros (o sistema é caro, exige que as rádios o paguem, a começar pela codificação da sua onda).

Uma certeza final: a rádio não será a mesma depois de banalizadas as audiências electrónicas; algumas verdades vão ser postas em causa, há números que vão parecer um disparate e haverá finalmente a capacidade de programar em função de resultados (e não com base em suspeitas ou apenas tendências). Os primeiros testes em Filadélfia mostraram que as pessoas sintonizam duas vezes mais rádios do que aquelas que registavam na sua folha diária. Como se escrevia recentemente no New York Times, "if devices like the P.P.M. or data from millions of set-top digital cable boxes reveal that what Americans are seeing and hearing do not correspond to what the big measurement companies have long been claiming". (Gertner, Jon, "Our Ratings, Ourselves", New York Times, 10/04/05)

Houston é, nesta altura, o centro das atenções das medições de audiências em rádio (e televisão).

Há um plano de leituras mensais (bem melhor do que os trimestrais da actualidade) que começou em setembro, e vai continuar, pelo menos, até Janeiro (informação oficial aqui). Os primeiros resultados têm estas conclusões.

Segundo revela a própria empresa, há 2100 consumidores em Houston, a partir dos 6 anos (!), transportando um PPM, que detecta os sinais de rádio e televisão próximos, seja no carro, em casa ou até no cinema. A experiência de Houston conta com mais de 100 empresas de comunicação social (rádio, tv hertziana e tv por cabo).

O sistema tem vários méritos. Até os podcasts de programas de rádio são detectados! ("Podcasting is a very different distribution system for traditional radio and the successful test of the PPM should further build confidence in how well it works with all types of audio programming,” said Pierre Bouvard, president, Portable People Meters, Arbitron Inc").

Os sistemas actuais de medição de audiências em rádio variam entre as entrevistas aleatórias, ainda que representativas da amostra nacional, como é o caso de Portugal, e o sistema de “diário” (uma amostra pré-seleccionada preenche diariamente uma folha de um caderno, dando conta da rádio que ouviu e quando ouviu).

É fácil de perceber que estamos perante sistemas baratos mas sem rigor, aproximativos, que não permitem leituras diárias ou semanais (nos Estados Unidos, como em Portugal, a Arbitron faz como a Marktest, quatro leituras anuais). Não admira, também, que anunciantes e as próprias rádios já tenham contestado diversas vezes os sistemas vigentes – até pelo contraste com a audimetria.

Também por causa disso, têm sido anunciados alguns sistemas de medição electrónica, com especial destaque para o “Portable People Meter”, da Arbitron (uma pequena caixa que se transporta no bolso ou ao cinto e que identifica e regista as rádios que vão sendo ouvidas; ao fim do dia esse aparelho faz a descarga para a central, sempre sem qualquer intervenção humana).

Prometido diversas vezes, nos últimos anos, tem agora lançamento comercial marcado para 2006. O que tem atrasado o seu desenvolvimento não se sabe (fala-se na dificuldade de conseguir jovens que o transportem); sabe-se, isso sim, que nos EUA já foram feitos, pelo menos, dois grandes testes, o primeiro em Filadélfia, em 2002, e o segundo, este ano, em Houston. E que estas duas cidades serão as primeiras a experimentar comercialmente o PPM – um dos grandes operadores de rádio dos EUA, a Clear Channel, desesperada com os atrasos, prometeu avançar sozinha com um sistema alternativo, tendo desafiado outros construtores a candidatarem-se.

Dos testes feitos até agora algumas ideias podem ser sistematizadas:

- afinal ouve-se menos rádio do que a estimativa existente (que era de 15 horas e 15 minutos por semana, contra as 10 horas e 45 minutos apuradas agora);

- há mais gente a ouvir rádio do que se pensava (93 por cento contra os 86 anteriores);

- os ouvintes de rádio ouvem duas vezes mais estações do que aquilo que se sabia;

 (principal fonte:Kafka, Peter, “Is Radio’s signal getting stronger?”, Forbes, 20/09/05)

(na perspectiva amadora, que ainda hoje vigora, nomeadamente em Portugal)

“Los programadores de las emisoras empezaron a ver qué clase de audiencia tean, es decir, cómo les afectó la programación, y sabiendo que diferentes clases de gente responderían a la programación de formas diferentes, empezaron a aprender cómo situarse respecto a sus competidores según el método del intento y del error cambiando su programación para dirigirse a grupos de edad y sexo determinados" (HENABERY, R. Radio USA, Instituto de Estudios Americanos, Barcelona, 1984, págs. 4/2 apud Martí i Martí, Josep, Modelos de programación radiofonica, Feed back Ediciones, Barcelona, 1990, pág. 97/98)

"Cuanto mayor es la debilidad económica del medio, mayor es la posibilidad de que los mensajes publicitarios adopten formas más descaradamente persuasivas, enquistándose en el conjunto del discurso radiofónico sin apenas diferenciación de los contenidos formales del mismo. La radio todo publicidad es aquella en la que el oyente no distingue qué partes son las que incitan al consumo de determinados productos y cuáles responden a la lógica del discurso programático, algo así como si el lector de un periódico no viera con claridad cuál es el espacio redaccional y cuál pertenece al publicitario."

Josép Martí i Martí, pág. 78