6-24-13
Despite harsh financial penalties, broadcasters continue to allegedly break the strict rules Arbitron has in place to protect its paying customers. Ratings have a lot to do with how much a station or cluster receives in revenue and, like them or not, the Arbitron ratings play a vital role in how GM's program the content on their station. In the dog house now for allegedly using numbers without being a paid Arbitron subscriber is Renda Broadcasting. The Jacksonville cluster may have gotten caught with their hands in the cookie jar and Arbitron is asking Tony Renda to fork over hundreds of thousands of dollars.
In the complaint, Arbitron alleges Renda Jacksonville GM Bill Reese illegally obtained copies of the Arbitron numbers from an advertising agency in Jacksonville in 2011 and 2012. Arbitron alleges Reese received the numbers through his station e-mail account and forwarded them to Sales Manager Charlie Jennings and PD Chuck Beck. Reese then said he would shred the numbers to conceal his "nefarious acts," according to the Arbitron complaint. Arbitron also says it notified company CEO Tony Renda about the Jacksonville situation.
Renda has not been a subscriber to Arbitron since 2010.
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