More Complaints About Arbitron Response Rates

Another industry group is complaining about Arbitron’s survey system.
The chairman of the Network Radio Research Council said this week that the ratings service should come up with an “aggressive plan” to improve diary response rates, according to Reuters.com.
Klatt was quoted as saying the network group has grown more concerned since Arbitron acquired the network ratings service RADAR from SRI. That system has relied on telephone surveys but Arbitron is switching it to diaries, which generally have lower response rates.
“Our effort to address response rates is a serious and ongoing concern at Arbitron,” stated Owen Charlebois, president, U.S. Media Services. “As an organization we are spending more than we ever have working to interdict the decline in response rates and dealing with the consequences of the industry-wide slide in response rates. We welcome our customers participation and interest in these efforts and will continue to work with the industry to enhance the quality of the services we provide.
Recently, the NAB’s Committee on Local Radio Audience Measurement put out a similar challenge to Arbitron.