Arbitron Outlines Two Key Sample Quality Improvement Initiatives for Diary and PPM Markets

Arbitron Outlines Two Key Sample Quality Improvement Initiatives for Diary and PPM Markets

-- Increasing Diary cell-phone-only household sample target to average of 15 percent; -- Increasing PPM cell-phone-only household sample target to average of 20 percent

COLUMBIA, Md., Aug. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Arbitron Inc. (NYSE:ARB) today announced two sample quality improvement initiatives as part of its ongoing continuous improvement program. These initiatives are designed to reinforce customer confidence in the ratings currency produced by the Arbitron Diary and Portable People Meter(TM) (PPM(TM)) services. Arbitron plans to expand further cell-phone-only household sampling in its Diary and PPM ratings services to address that growing demographic.

"Arbitron continues to make advances to further our commitment to continually improve sample quality," said Michael Skarzynski, Chief Executive Officer and President, Arbitron. "We also continue to lay the groundwork to help ensure that the radio industry has the state-of-the-art solutions and services that it will need to compete for the long-term."

Announced following the Summer 2009 meeting of the Arbitron Radio Advisory Council (RAC), these sample quality improvement initiatives include plans to:

   --  Increase its sample target for cell-phone-only households in Diary       markets to an average of 15 percent by year-end 2010    --  Increase its sample target for cell-phone-only households in PPM       markets to an average of 20 percent by year-end 2010   

Arbitron also announced that it achieved its target of delivering a sample containing at least 10 percent cell-phone-only households across 151 local markets - yielding a 25 percent increase in Designated Delivery Index (DDI) for Persons aged 18-34 - in the Arbitron Spring 2009 Diary survey. Arbitron noted that the Spring 2009 survey also delivered a DDI of 80 or higher among Persons aged 18-54 in 100 percent of 4-book markets with CPO sampling; and in nearly 90 percent of other Diary markets with cell-phone-only sampling. The Company previously announced plans to include cell-phone-only household sampling in all 288 Diary markets in the continental US, Hawaii, and Alaska by the Fall 2009 survey.

Arbitron calculates DDI by dividing the actual sample size for a given demographic group by its target sample size for that demographic group. A DDI of 100 means the actual sample size equals the sample target for a given survey period.

"We are impressed by the gains Arbitron has achieved in its Spring 2009 Diary survey results and believe that these new initiatives can continue to help achieve even more dramatic results for sample quality and enhanced accountability," said Lisa Decker, Radio Advisory Council Chairperson and Senior Vice President and Seattle Market Manager for CBS Radio. "The Radio Advisory Council has participated in a highly productive meeting and is pleased that Arbitron has taken these steps to raise the bar on sample quality and enhance confidence in the currency."

The RAC consists of 24 radio industry leaders who act as the voice of subscribing radio stations, advising Arbitron on issues important to radio and helping improve Arbitron's services and policies. The RAC comprises both elected and appointed positions from various radio format and market size categories from a spectrum of expertise including research and programming. In addition, each of Arbitron's five largest radio station group customers has one appointed seat on the RAC.

   The members of the RAC are:                              Arbitron Radio Advisory Council                                      LEADERSHIP                                      Chairperson                         Lisa Decker, Senior Vice President/                               Market Manager, Seattle                                      CBS Radio    RAC Vice Chairman                          RAC Past Chairman   Doug Abernethy, Vice President &           Chuck DuCoty, COO   General Manager                            NRG Media   KBXX-FM/KMJQ-FM/KROI-FM (Radio One)                                     2009 Members   Don Benson, President & CEO                Lucy Hughes, Senior Vice   Lincoln Financial                          President, Research   Continuous-Service Markets 1-50            CBS Radio                                              Top 5 Group-Appointed    Gerry Boehme, Executive Vice               Buzz Knight, Vice President,   President, Strategic Planning & IT         Programming   Services                                   Greater Media   Katz Media Group                           Group Programming-Appointed   Researcher-Appointed    Kathleen Bohan, Vice President,            Lee Larsen, Senior Vice   Research & Marketing                       President, Rockies   Univision Radio                            Clear Channel Radio   Researcher-Appointed                       Top 5 Group-Appointed    Natalie Conner, VP/Marketing Manager       Thomas Mandel , President &   WXTU-FM (Beasley Broadcast Group)          General Manager   Youth Format/Top 100 Markets               WAKR-AM (Rubber City Radio                                              Group)                                              Continuous Markets 51+    Rick Cummings, President, Radio            Dale Miller, President   Division                                   WVAQ-FM (West Virginia Radio   Emmis Communications                       Corporation)   Continuous-Service Markets 1-50            Small Market/Condensed Market    Bruce Demps, Regional Vice President       Jay O'Connor, Regional Vice   Radio One                                  President   Black/Urban Format/Top 100 Markets         Cox Radio Tampa                                              Top 5 Group-Appointed    Judy Ellis, COO                            Michael D. Osterhout, Chief   Citadel Broadcasting                       Operating Officer   Top 5 Group-Appointed                      KCLB-FM (MCC Radio LLC)                                              Any Market/Two-Time Standard                                              Markets    Roger A. Fessler, General                  Bill Pasha, Vice President of   Manager/Market Manager                     Programming   KISV-FM (American General Media)           Entercom   Continuous-Service Markets 51-100          Top 5 Group-Appointed    Mike Haile, Vice President & General       Tony Perlongo, General Manager   Manager                                    KSOL-FM (Univision)   WDWS-AM, WHMS-FM                           Hispanic Format/Top 100 Markets   Small Market Condensed    Jeff Haley, President/CEO                  Tom Skinner , Vice President &   Radio Advertising Bureau                   General Manager   At Large-Appointed                         KZST-FM (Redwood Empire                                              Stereocasters)                                              Any Market/Two-Time Standard                                              Markets    Jess Hanson, Senior Vice   President/Research   Clear Channel Radio   Group Research-Appointed   

For more information on RAC members, see: http://www.arbitron.com/radio_stations/arac_members.htm

About Arbitron

Arbitron Inc. (NYSE:ARB) is a media and marketing research firm serving the media - radio, television, cable, online radio and out-of-home - as well as advertisers and advertising agencies. 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 has developed the Portable People Meter, a new technology for media and marketing research.

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.

Arbitron Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this release that are not strictly historical, including the statements regarding expectations for 2009 and any other statements regarding events or developments that we believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future, may be "forward-looking" statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those suggested or indicated by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, among other things, the current global economic recession and the upheaval in the credit markets and financial services industry, competition, our ability to develop and successfully market new products and technologies, our ability to successfully commercialize our Portable People Meter(TM) service, the growth rates and cyclicality of markets we serve, our ability to expand our business in new markets, our ability to successfully identify, consummate and integrate appropriate acquisitions, the impact of increased costs of data collection including a trend toward increasing incidence of cell phone-only households, litigation and other contingent liabilities including intellectual property matters, our compliance with applicable laws and regulations and changes in applicable laws and regulations, our ability to achieve projected efficiencies, cost reductions, sales growth and earnings, and international economic, political, legal and business factors. Additional information regarding the factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements is available in our SEC filings, including our 2008 Annual Report on Form 10-K. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release and the Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Arbitron Inc.

CONTACT: Jessica Benbow of Arbitron Inc., +1-410-312-8363,
jessica.benbow@arbitron.com

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

---

Profile: International Entertainment