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 CBS-PR-061206151407.doc
May 18, 2006
Arbitron And CBS Radio Enter Into Multi-Year, Multi-Market Agreement For Portable People Meter (PPM) Ratings Services
NEW YORK, May 18, 2006 - Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) today announced
that CBS RADIO, one of the largest major-market operators in the United
States, has entered into a seven year agreement for Portable People
Meter (PPMSM) radio ratings when the new audience ratings
technology is deployed in the 35 CBS RADIO markets encompassed in
Arbitron's previously announced PPM rollout plan.
Arbitron plans to launch the Portable People Meter (PPM) system as
its radio ratings service to the top 50 markets, beginning with Houston
in July 2006 (pending Media Rating Council accreditation).
Joel Hollander, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CBS RADIO
commented, "CBS RADIO is counting on the PPM to enhance the value of
both our programming and the audiences we reach in the eyes of our
advertisers. We're pleased to be the first major broadcaster to embrace
the future by signing a contract for Arbitron's next-generation
electronic audience measurement system. Radio has been searching for a
more accountable method to provide advertisers with valuable
information about its listeners, and I'm confident that the PPM will be
supported throughout the industry."
"We are pleased that CBS Radio has signed a long-term agreement with
Arbitron for PPM radio ratings. We view this agreement as an
endorsement of our electronic measurement technology from one of our
largest and most sophisticated customers. We look forward to continuing
to provide CBS Radio with the information services to help it grow and
manage its business for years to come," said Steve Morris, president
and CEO, Arbitron Inc.
The Portable People Meter, an electronic audience measurement
technology that has been in U.S. market trials since 2001, is scheduled
to be used in the top 50 markets in place of the current paper and
pencil diary method that the company has employed to collect radio
audience estimates since 1965.
About Arbitron
Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) is an international media and marketing
research firm serving radio broadcasters, cable companies, advertisers,
advertising agencies and outdoor advertising companies in the United
States, Mexico and Europe. Arbitron's core businesses are measuring
network and local market radio audiences across the United States;
surveying the retail, media and product patterns of local market
consumers; and providing application software used for analyzing media
audience and marketing information data. The Company has developed the
Portable People Meter, a new technology for media and marketing
research.
Arbitron's marketing and business units are supported by its
research and technology organization located in Columbia, Maryland.
Arbitron has approximately 1700 employees; its executive offices are
located in New York City.
Through its Scarborough Research joint venture with VNU Media
Measurement & Information, Arbitron also provides media and
marketing research services to the broadcast television, magazine,
newspaper and online industries.
About CBS RADIO
CBS RADIO is one of the largest major-market operators in the United
States with stations covering news, alternative rock, country, FM talk,
classic rock, oldies, JACK and urban formats, among others. A division
of CBS Corporation, CBS RADIO operates 179 radio stations, the majority
of which are in the nation's top 50 markets. CBS RADIO also has made
aggressive moves to converge new and traditional media through creative
programming and advanced delivery methods, including online streaming,
HD Radio and podcasting. In May 2005, CBS RADIO launched the world's
first podcast programmed radio station, KYOURADIO. Additionally, CBS
Radio is home to 29 of the country's leading sports franchises amongst
MLB, the NFL, the NBA, the WNBA and the NHL, including the New York
Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago White Sox, New England Patriots, New
York Giants, Chicago Bears and the Detroit Red Wings. For more
information on CBS RADIO, please visit www.cbsradio.com.
* * * * * *
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The
statements regarding Arbitron in this document that are not historical
in nature, particularly those that utilize terminology such as "may,"
"will," "should," "likely," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates,"
"believes" or "plans," or comparable terminology, are forward-looking
statements based on current expectations about future events, which
Arbitron has derived from information currently available to it. These
forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and
uncertainties that may cause our results to be materially different
from results implied in such forward-looking statements. These risks
and uncertainties include whether we will be able to:
· renew all or part of contracts with large customers as they expire;
· successfully execute our business strategies, including
implementation of our Portable People Meter services and to execute
potential joint venture or third party agreements;
· effectively manage the impact of any further consolidation in the radio and advertising agency industries;
· keep up with rapidly changing technological needs of our customer
base, including creating new proprietary software systems and new
customer products and services that meet these needs in a timely manner;
· successfully manage the impact on our business of any economic
downturn generally and in the advertising market in particular; and
· successfully manage the impact on costs of data collection due
to lower respondent cooperation in surveys, privacy concerns, consumer
trends, technology changes and/or government regulations.
Additional important factors known to Arbitron that could cause
forward-looking statements to turn out to be incorrect are identified
and discussed from time to time in Arbitron's filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, including in particular the risk
factors discussed under the caption "ITEM 1. BUSINESS - Business Risks"
in our Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The forward-looking statements contained in this document speak
only as of the date hereof, and Arbitron undertakes no obligation to
correct or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result
of new information, future events or otherwise.
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MEDIA CONTACTS
Karen L. Mateo
Vice President, Communications
(212) 649 9639
Allison Mandara
Communications Coordinator
(212) 649 9606
Dana McClintock
Senior Vice President,
CBS Communications Group
(212) 975 1077
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