Arbitron said that for April, it is meeting or exceeding its sample quality metrics for the Portable People Meter.
For Persons 6+, its in-tab rate, or the amount of usable data, averaged 82.3%, which is 10% higher for that month in 2007. For Persons 18–34, its in-tab rate averaged 77.5%, which is 27% higher than April three years ago.
For diaries, in-tab means the number of usable diaries. For PPM, the in-tab rate is the percent of “installed” persons who have provided fault-free data and have eight or more hours of meter motion.
The audience research firm says its plans to increase its PPM sample target are on track. Increases are set to begin in July.
The company is increasing its cell phone household sampling. By year-end 2010, Arbitron expects about 40% of the 18–34 sample will come from cell phone households. That’s up from an average of 26% at the end of 2009. The company is dropping the term “cell phone only” as it widens its definition of cell households to include those that mostly rely on their wireless phones but still occasionally use their landlines.
In-person recruitment targeted at population segments more likely to be reachable only by cell phones, including youth and minorities, is set to begin in July.
