MIAMI – On June 30, 2009, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Dennis C. Moss sponsored a resolution urging Congress, the Florida Legislature, and Federal and State Officials to ensure that the ratings methodology used by the “Portable People Meter” ratings system designed to measure radio station listenership does not under-represent minority radio listeners. The resolution was co-sponsored by Commissioners Barbara J. Jordan, Dorrin D. Rolle, and Senator Javier D. Souto and it passed with and 11-0 vote. Commissioners Martinez and Sosa were not present.
The Portable People Meter (“PPM”) system is an electronic service utilized to measure radio station listenership developed by Arbitron; it contains methodological flaws, including serious shortcomings in the accuracy and reliability of the system given its inadequate representation of Hispanic, African American, and other minority listeners.
“The PPM system seriously undercounts the listening habits of minority consumers, does not present a valid and fair representation of the diversity of radio markets in different states, thereby it causes an improper decline in ratings for minority stations leading to reductions in advertising revenue,” said Chairman Moss. “Such reductions in advertising revenue put the viability of many minority radio broadcasters at risk; consequently, it harms the overall broadcast diversity.”
Attorneys General in the States of New York, New Jersey, and Maryland have all settled suits against Arbitron seeking to enforce respective state laws regarding discrimination and deceptive practices in an effort to ensure continuous improvement by Arbitron of its PPM system before it is further commercialized in additional markets.
The Florida Attorney General is best suited to ensure that the benefits secured by those states that have settled with Arbitron also reach radio markets in Florida, as well as to make certain that PPM sampling procedures obtain Media Research Council accreditation in Florida to prevent them from negatively affecting minority audiences and broadcast stations.
The resolution that passed in the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners strongly urges the Florida Attorney General to support the stance set forth by the Attorneys General in the States of New York, New Jersey, and Maryland, and oppose rolling out the PPM system in any markets within the state of Florida until the system is fully corrected to preserve broadcast diversity by ensuring that the ratings methodology does not misrepresent minority radio listeners.
