This is the third installment of a series on the debut of electronic measurement for radio, digital audio platforms, and advertising agencies.
The Portable People Meter
Survey participants are provided a mobile meter the size of a cell phone, base stations for each household qualified listener, one Household Data Collection Docking Hub, and equipment allowing landline phones and Hub to co-exist in the landline jack. Everything is easy to install and is shipped to survey households.
A meter recognizes all the coded radio or digital audio an individual is exposed to during the course of a day. Part of the technology built into the meter operates similarly to the electronic ankle bracelets that utilize landline phones to monitor the location of those serving jail time at home. These meters serve two purposes: indicating motion (when a panelist is carrying the meter) and recording the exposed coded silent radio and digital signals. The motion sensor on the meter reveals if a panelist is home or away from home. Cell phone-only households (CPOs) are also provided the necessary equipment to upload measurement information.
Panelist Instructions
At bedtime, each household panelist is instructed to place the meter in the base station for recharging and transference of coded broadcast signals for the day to the Household Data Collection Docking Hub. All the collected information from the individual base stations is then uploaded to a central computer at Arbitron headquarters. When docked for the night, the meter is still able to record encoded audio; however, only one hour of listening can be credited during the recharging/docking process.
Article comments
1 - Dr. Juliann Mitchell, PhD
Sam,
A couple of questions--why is Arbitron so hot to use the PPM?
What do you believe is the biggest drawback to this ratings system. What happens if the participate forgets to put their meter in the charger?
What used to be used for ratings?
Assuming there was something else, what makes the PPM superior?