New Online Radio Ratings Launched

Arbitron is taking a new tack in trying to establish itself as the source for ratings of Web radio.
Having purchased the competing Measurecast brand two years ago and eventually closing that service, Arbitron now is working with online measurement firm comScore Media Metrix; the two have launched a service to provide traditional broadcast ratings for online radio.
The data will be released monthly and first estimates will be released next week.
The service is based on a subset of 200,000 U.S. participants with which comScore works. The company captures online behavior of these panelists, including online radio listening.
“The service will provide customers with Average Quarter Hour and Cume audience estimates for traditional broadcast dayparts and demographics,” the companies stated. “This allows online radio to be planned and bought using the same metrics as those used by traditional radio.”
A comScore executive said the sample size helps it provide representation of listening at work and in universities, where broadcast connections are common, as well as in homes.
Arbitron will publish the average weekly audience for persons 12+, Monday through Sunday, 6AM-Midnight, on its Web site. The companies said early subscribers include the AOL Radio Network, Yahoo LaunchCast, MSN Radio and Windowsmedia.com.
In March, Arbitron had said it planned to revamp the offerings of its Internet Broadcast Services division; at that time it discontinued its Measurecast ratings.