2-15-2012
Arbitron was vague about plans to launch a new ratings service that focuses specifically on streaming companies like Pandora, Slacker and Spotify. In fact, the company would not even discuss which players might be involved in a new service. "We are collaborating with players" is all they would say yesterday in the company conference call to discuss earnings. We reached out to several Internet companies to see if they were in the loop on when a new ratings service might be available to them. All they were allowed to say was they're not allowed to say anything.
Here's one response we received, "We are in discussions, bound by a mutual NDA, to solve for a measurement tool that the marketplace is demanding?.something that allows advertisers to compare all audio ad options in one report."
Arbitron officials did say, "we are engaged in defining the service, the timing is not within our control" and "this is a complex question, as far as what the service will look like," and we have no clarity on timing but the dialogue is continuing." Arbitron says the final product may be a combination of data from the Portable People Meter and data and log files.
Another reason Arbitron has been vague is the challenge of developing this new service to create new revenue for the company and shareholders and the reaction this new type of service may get from its golden goose...radio. How will radio react to its one and only ratings service when an industry, lead by Pandora saying it's coming directly after its revenue, launches a service that will lead to just that...facts and figures they can to take to radio advertisers aimed at pealing away radio revenue.
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