Arbitron has proposed introducing a “multimodal recruitment approach” intended to boost participation of minorities and youth in its sample for the Portable People Meter, starting with in-person recruiting by this July. This is one of the proposals Arbitron submitted to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Feb. 12.
The proposals came to light this week in Arbitron’s latest SEC filing.
The research firm expects to begin in-person recruiting in the high-density black and Hispanic areas in the top 25 PPM markets by year-end and have address-based sampling completed in all PPM markets by 2011. Currently, the company uses phone-based sampling, which is less expensive.
In addition the company proposed forming a minority leadership council this spring to bring together broadcasters and ad agencies and expand its initiatives directed toward advertiser outreach for minority radio.
The PPM Coalition, in response, says it has plans to discuss the proposals with Arbitron and would have no further comment until that happened. Coalition members include the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, the Spanish Radio Association, the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council, the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies, Entravision Communications Corp., ICBC Broadcast Holdings, Spanish Broadcasting System and Univision Communications.
