News

Urban broadcasters are split about the People Meter, in filings at the FCC

Published on Thursday, July 02, 2009

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Steve Wonder is against the Arbitron PPM, on the grounds that it undercounts minorities and hurts ethnic stations. He owns Los Angeles standalone urban AC KJLH (102.3), and its filing at the FCC says “The station has been hard hit and badly hurt” by the People Meter.” The National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters says if the FCC can’t get Arbitron to fix the system, “the Commission should terminate its reliance on Arbitron data for any Commission purpose" and otherwise pressure it to improve the system. The Sutton family’s ICBC owns urban WBLS, New York and urban AC KBLX in San Francisco and says “The switch to PPM has harmed” it, citing ratings and revenue estimates. But Emmis, which owns urban “Hot 97” WQHT and urban AC WRKS in New York and urban “Power 106” KPWR in L.A., thinks the FCC should steer clear of investigating electronic measurement. It admits that its stations “have fared less well under the PPM system than under the old paper diary system.” But it says “notwithstanding these results, Emmis does not view them as representing any inherent bias against stations with African-American or Hispanic audiences.“ And it offers this thought: "the paper diary system has often overstated actual listening.”

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