BBM Canada Launches World's Largest Combined TV and Radio Media Measurement Panel Using Arbitron Portable People Meter(TM) Techn

COLUMBIA, Md., Aug. 31  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Arbitron Inc. (NYSE:ARB) announced today that the world's largest combined panel for television and radio audience measurement is now live in Canada using Arbitron Portable People Meter(TM) (PPM(TM)) technology. In April 2008, following a competitive process, BBM Canada chose the Arbitron and TNS Media Research joint solution to support this multi-media measurement initiative.

"Arbitron is excited to be a key component of this innovative approach to audience measurement; and pleased to showcase the distinctive capabilities of our PPM service," said Michael Skarzynski, Chief Executive Officer and President, Arbitron. "The PPM technology is designed to measure exposure to all audible media and is easy-to-use, mobile, flexible and language-agnostic. PPM technology is uniquely suited to provide two currencies using one panel."

PPM technology is now used throughout Canada, replacing the legacy electronic measurement technology for television. It is also replacing BBM Canada's diary service for radio in five markets.

"The launch of BBM Canada's joint radio and television PPM service is an exciting achievement for the Canadian advertising industry," said Jim MacLeod, President and CEO of BBM Canada. "In September 2004, BBM began using PPM technology to measure television viewing in the francophone market of Montreal and over the past 5 years we have grown confident that the PPM service is the audience measurement solution that can best meet our members' needs today and well into the future."

"Our members and the Canadian broadcasting industry as a whole have been extremely supportive of our move to PPM measurement," said Dorena Noce, Vice-president Corporate Services of BBM Canada. "We are extremely excited with the PPM technology and the robust audience measurement service that it will provide."

More than 75,000 Arbitron Portable People Meters are currently in use around the world across eight commercial media measurement services including the United States, Canada, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Kazakhstan. Additionally, the PPM technology is utilized in television audience measurement in Singapore.

About Arbitron

Arbitron Inc. (NYSE:ARB) is a media and marketing research firm primarily serving radio, television, cable, advertising agencies, advertisers, retailers, out-of-home media, and online media. Arbitron's core businesses are measuring and estimating radio audiences in local markets in the United States, measuring and estimating audiences of network radio programs and commercials; providing software used for accessing and analyzing its media audience and marketing information data, and providing consumer, shopping, and media usage information services. The company has developed the Arbitron Portable People Meter, a new technology for media and marketing research.

About the Arbitron Portable People Meter

Arbitron and TNS have been working together to promote PPM-based media measurement internationally since 2000.  More than 75,000 Arbitron Portable People Meters are currently in use around the world across eight commercial measurement services including the United States, Canada, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Kazakhstan and Singapore.

The Arbitron Portable People Meter system uses a passive audience measurement device -- about the size of a small cell phone -- to track consumer exposure to media and entertainment, including broadcast, cable and satellite television; terrestrial and online radio as well as many types of place-based electronic media. Carried throughout the day by randomly selected survey participants, the PPM(TM) device can track when and where they watch television, listen to radio as well as how they interact with other forms of media and entertainment.

The PPM detects inaudible codes embedded in the audio portion of media and entertainment content delivered by broadcasters, content providers and distributors. At the end of the day, the meter is placed in a docking station that extracts the codes and sends them to a central computer. The PPM is equipped with a motion sensor, a patented quality control feature unique to the system, which allows Arbitron to confirm the compliance of the PPM survey participants every day.

About BBM Canada

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

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

Portable People Meter(TM) and PPM(TM) are marks of Arbitron Inc.

PPM ratings are based on audience estimates and are the opinion of Arbitron and should not be relied on for precise accuracy or precise representativeness of a demographic or radio market. 

DATASOURCE: Arbitron Inc.



CONTACT:  Jessica Benbow of Arbitron Inc., [phone],





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

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