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Arbitron Adds Three New Radio Markets to Fall 2004 Survey 09.09.04
Nassau Broadcasting Partners Signs On as a Charter Subscriber to New Arbitron Radio Markets
NEW YORK; September 09, 2004 – Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) announced today that three new radio markets—Concord (Lake Regions), NH; Lebanon-Rutland-White River Junction, NH; and Montpelier-Barre-Waterbury, VT—have been added to the Fall 2004 Arbitron radio survey schedule.
| Market | 12+ Persons Population | Estimated Market Rank |
| Concord (Lake Regions), NH | 222,800 | 175 |
| Lebanon-Rutland-White River Junction, NH | 211,400 | 180 |
| Montpelier-Barre-Waterbury, VT | 105,300 | 259 |
"The new Metros will allow all of our stations to be 'home stations' in Arbitron-rated markets and provide the platform for Nassau Broadcasting to continue our trademark of super serving the community and delivering great local radio," said Lou Mercatanti, President / CEO, Nassau Broadcasting Partners. "Nassau will now have the ability to serve listeners and advertisers seamlessly across Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire with a total of six measured markets."
"The radio industry continues to regard the Arbitron radio ratings service as an important tool for growing their advertising business," said Owen Charlebois, President, U.S. Media Services, Arbitron Inc. "Our customers, large and small, have supported and profited from a steady increase in the number of Arbitron-rated markets over the past eight years. In Spring 1996, Arbitron measured 263 syndicated radio markets. This fall, we will survey more than 290, a record number for Arbitron and for the industry we serve."
These three new markets are scheduled to be measured twice each year: in the Fall and Spring. They will be part of the local radio ratings service that is accredited by Media Rating Council and used by more than 2,500 advertising agencies and advertisers across the United States.
These three new markets will be surveyed with the enhanced version of the seven-day diary that Arbitron currently uses in nearly 170 mid-sized and small markets. Through this "qualitative diary," Arbitron compiles its industry-standard radio listening estimates as well as data on consumer behavior for nearly two dozen socio-economic, retail and media categories.
"The Qualitative Diary service is designed to help local radio broadcasters talk to their home-town advertisers in terms they can understand," said Mr. Charlebois. "Telling your advertisers - ‘Here are your customers and here is how they listen to my station!’ - is a great way to boost station revenues and write new business."
Subscribers in qualitative diary markets can use the Arbitron Maximi$er® software to profile radio station listeners in terms of their plans to buy automobiles, appliances, electronics, hardware, home improvement services and furniture. The service also tracks grocery spending, restaurants visits, department store and malls shopped at, beer and soft drink consumption as well as providing top-line estimates of newspaper readership, broadcast tv news viewing and cable television viewing by radio station listeners.
Note: Market Ranks for Fall 2004 will not be finalized until Arbitron conducts its annual market population updates later this year.
About Nassau Broadcasting
Nassau Broadcasting Partners, L.P., a
privately held firm, owns and operates 31 radio stations and has under contract
or agreement to purchase an additional 24 stations. Pro forma for pending
transactions, Nassau is the 26th largest broadcaster in terms of revenue and
14th largest in terms of number of stations in the U.S.
About Arbitron
Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) is an international media
and marketing research firm serving radio broadcasters, cable companies,
advertisers, advertising agencies and outdoor advertising companies in the
United States, Mexico and Europe. Arbitron’s core businesses are measuring
network and local market radio audiences across the United States; surveying the
retail, media and product patterns of local market consumers; and providing
application software used for analyzing media audience and marketing information
data. The Company is developing the Portable People Meter, a new technology for
radio, TV and cable ratings.
Arbitron’s marketing and business units are supported by its research and technology organization located in Columbia, Maryland. Arbitron has approximately 900 full-time employees; its executive offices are located in New York City.
Through its Scarborough Research joint venture with VNU Media Measurement & Information, Arbitron also provides media and marketing research services to the broadcast television, magazine, newspaper, outdoor and online industries.
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