Arbitron Announces Next Generation Electronic Audience Measurement: PPM 360™

COLUMBIA, Md., June 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) announced today its new generation of audience measurement, the PPM 360 technology, a flexible, convenient solution to measuring media by extending the Portable People Meter(TM) (PPM(TM)) technology onto a wireless platform. By migrating to a wireless platform, Arbitron is better able to follow the media habits of on-the-go consumers. This new approach lays the foundation for the development of future applications for the patented, proprietary PPM technology on multiple consumer devices.

"This innovative approach further liberates audience measurement from the home and enables media, brands and marketers to follow the mobile consumer more closely – which is particularly important for brands appealing to younger demographics," said William Kerr, President and CEO, Arbitron. "This platform is designed to be an integrated component to our existing radio services and drive future innovation for media measurement."

The new device design resembles a simple cell phone and is sleeker and smaller than the current meter. The inclusion of cellular wireless technology in the meter eliminates the need for an in-home docking station and a communications hub, creating an enhanced, streamlined experience for a panelist. The meter is ready out-of-the-box and can be charged with a simple USB cord. Arbitron can communicate with panelists through a text screen on the meter. It also retains a motion detector to monitor compliance, similar to previous versions of the PPM meter.

"The PPM 360 technology is a combined approach to measurement and data retrieval that enables future development of applications for multi-platform measurement, including cell phones, wireless devices and computers providing flexibility for future services that better reflect the industry need to follow the consumer," said Taymoor Arshi, Chief Technology Officer, Arbitron Inc. "Our new technology is designed to position us to meet the research needs of a network, station or advertiser, including seeing data closer to a major event."

About the Portable People Meter Technology

The Arbitron Portable People Meter technology tracks consumers' exposure to media and entertainment, including broadcast, cable and satellite television; terrestrial, satellite and online radio as well as cinema advertising and many types of place-based digital media.

Broadcast signals are encoded with inaudible signals as they air or stream live. These codes are detected by the software that can be downloaded into a cell phone device or computer application. The PPM software is equipped with a motion sensor, a patented quality control feature unique to the system, which allows Arbitron to confirm the compliance of the PPM survey participants every day.

About Arbitron

Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) is a media and marketing research firm serving the media – radio, television, cable, online radio and out-of-home – as well as advertisers and advertising agencies. 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(TM), a new technology for media and marketing research.

Portable People Meter™, PPM™ and PPM 360™ are marks of Arbitron Inc.

PPM ratings are based on audience estimates and are the opinion of Arbitron and should not be relied on for precise accuracy or precise representativeness of a demographic or radio market.

Arbitron Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this release that are not strictly historical, including the statements regarding expectations for 2010 and any other statements regarding events or developments that we believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future, may be "forward-looking" statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those suggested or indicated by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, among other things, the current global economic recession and the upheaval in the credit markets and financial services industry, competition, our ability to develop and successfully market new products and technologies, our ability to successfully commercialize our Portable People Meter™ service, the growth rates and cyclicality of markets we serve, our ability to expand our business in new markets, our ability to successfully identify, consummate and integrate appropriate acquisitions, the impact of increased costs of data collection including a trend toward increasing incidence of cell phone-only households, litigation and other contingent liabilities including intellectual property matters, our compliance with applicable laws and regulations and changes in applicable laws and regulations, our ability to achieve projected efficiencies, cost reductions, sales growth and earnings, and international economic, political, legal and business factors. Additional information regarding the factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements is available in our SEC filings, including our 2009 Annual Report on Form 10-K. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release and the Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

SOURCE Arbitron Inc.