Archive for month: July, 2011

Arbitron has recently made clear it’s intention to measure Internet radio’s audience. This will be Arbitron’s second attempt at measuring Internet radio. Arbitron purchased Measurecast at the end of 2002 and then shut it down in 2004. Measurecast utilized server side audience measurement similar to what we eventually utilized for Ando Media’s Webcast Metrics (we sold Ando Media to Triton Digital). When it shut down Measurecast, Arbitron believed that advertisers and agencies would rely on panel based estimates which had been Arbitron’s methodology for measuring the Internet in other areas. I have always been amazed that one could even think of using an estimate when actual data is available. This data is one of the factors that has driven the meteoric increase in Internet advertising including search. Arbitron would like to be able to combine terrestrial radio listening with Internet radio listening and produce one collective audience number. This may be difficult due to different methodologies. This is one reason they may resort to utilizing an estimate again.

Arbitron will either purchase Webcast Metrics or start their own Internet radio measurement service. Whichever path they choose let’s hope they get it right this time. Arbitron’s involvement may lead to added credibility for Internet radio. However given their terrestrial radio customer base their thinking may be weighted more toward what’s good for their terrestrial radio clients who are streaming, rather than the Internet radio only services such as Pandora, Accuradio and others.