From MediaWeek
By Katy Bachman
August 14, 2008

The July PPM ratings showed that 7 percent of PPM panelists listened to encoded online radio streams during the month.

For the first time, Arbitron ratings for portable people meter markets included estimates for radio station Internet streams and HD side channels. The July PPM ratings, released Wednesday for 10 markets, showed that 7 percent of (or 1,207) PPM panelists listened to encoded online radio streams during the month.

Arbitron is tracking 287 Internet and HD side channels that are being encoded. But of that total, only four radio station Internet streams attracted enough audience to meet Arbitron’s minimum reporting standard: WBEB-FM in Philadelphia; WPLJ-FM in New York made the Middlesex-Somerset-Union, N.J. report; WLTW-FM in New York made the Nassau-Suffolk, N.Y. report; and KDAY-FM in Los Angeles made the Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif. report.

As expected, online listening, skewed towards a 25-54 year-old demographic, spiked during work hours with 11 percent of full-time employed panelists turn to Internet radio.

No HD side channels had enough audience to show up in Philadelphia and Houston or the eight markets in pre-currency roll out. In PPM markets, 75 HD side channels are encoding.

Posted under PPM, Radio, Research