Starting in 2014, Arbitron intends to make Total Line Reporting of simulcast stations available to subscribers only.
Right now, any station that simulcasts 100% of its programming and commercials (AM, FM or HD Radio station plus an Internet stream) in a market, regardless of whether they subscribe to Arbitron ratings data, can request that their ratings be combined and reported as a single number.
Under the updated policy, only licensed subscribing stations “in good standing” will be eligible to combine audiences for their stations and Internet streams that are 100% simulcast on a single reporting line in Arbitron ratings reports and data services, the company said in a notice. The firm originally developed TLR to help customers who simulcast to market their stations.
The change applies to both commercial and noncommercial stations.
Nonsubscribing stations will be reported individually, regardless of their simulcast status. The change takes effect with the winter 2014 survey in diary markets and the January 2014 report in PPM markets.
