Arbitron Drops MeasureCast Web Radio Ratings; New Service Planned

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 27, 2004 - 7:43am.

New York -- Arbitron, the provider of ratings data for radio stations nationwide, announced on Friday that it will cease its weekly and monthly MeasureCast ratings, which measure Internet radio broadcast audiences, with plans to offer a revised service "better aligned with the needs of the market." New York-based Arbitron acquired MeasureCast in November 2002 and began offering the company's tally of the most-streamed Internet radio stations on the Web, but now believes that MeasureCast "does not provide the kind of information... that media planners need to justify including Internet Broadcasting in their media plans (age, sex, geography, etc.)," said Arbitron Internet Broadcast Services vice president and general manager Bill Rose. Arbitron also said that MeasureCast's method was not adequately scalable for the rapid growth of the medium. "We remain committed to the Internet broadcast business and continue to believe in the viability of this medium and its long-term market potential," said Arbitron New Ventures president Pierre Bouvard. "However, the investment needed to sustain the current method would have been far greater than the revenue potential for the service." The company did not provide details on exactly when it will launch its revised Internet radio ratings service.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040227/275160_1.html
http://www.arbitron.com
http://www.measurecast.com