Posted by geriatric geo on October 12, 2009, 2:39 pm
76.68.85.32

It was generally agreed (years & years ago in this forum) that diaries did not reflect listening habits. Has anyone explained how new people-meter system works (so 1010 CFRB fans can tear it apart)?

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Posted by Peter the K on October 12, 2009, 2:56 pm, in reply to "P.P.M.'s (whatever that is)"
75.119.225.188

Here you go: Arbitron's PPM page The technology is fascinating and assuming it works, it _should_ virtually eliminate the human error that diaries to which diaries are prone. --Peter

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Posted by Grandknight on October 12, 2009, 2:57 pm, in reply to "P.P.M.'s (whatever that is)"
67.230.154.143

The Portable People Meter (sometimes mistakenly "Personal People Meter") or PPM, is a device developed by Arbitron to measure how many people are listening (or at least exposed) to individual radio stations and television stations, including cable TV. The PPM is worn like a pager, and detects hidden audio tones within a station or network's audio stream, logging each time it finds such a signal. It has proved to be much more accurate than the old handwritten logs or wired meters, and is immune to forgetful test subjects. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_People_Meter

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Posted by Craig M Smith on October 12, 2009, 3:53 pm, in reply to "Re: P.P.M.'s (whatever that is)"
64.229.23.61

So in that case if your local bar/restaurant/ office has CP24 on with the sound up, and you have a PPM that would mean that CP24 would get the "points"? A flawed way to try to sell advertising me thinks, but it might be a good thing. If I wanted to buy time I would ask "how many people are actually watching" It's not like a live sports event that you know people are tuned in. Just wondering.....

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Posted by geriatric geo on October 12, 2009, 4:01 pm, in reply to "Re: P.P.M.'s (whatever that is)"
76.68.85.32

And by the same token, how often does it record a "vote" (for lack of a better term)? Listener in a vehicle from (say) 5:30 to 8:30 a.m. might hit the change button every 60 seconds (ie. when "have you seen the price of gas today/have you seen the price of car insurance today") arises. Will it catch each change? Lots of good radio @ that time of day but between Oakley, Coachin, Blundell, Derringer, Holloway, and even J. Moore) one must be quick on the trigger finger to not miss the good stuff.

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Posted by Mike Cleaver on October 12, 2009, 4:21 pm, in reply to "Re: P.P.M.'s (whatever that is)"
76.10.186.26

Yes, it does catch every "change of the dial." The logging signal is constant as long as you are listening/exposed to that station. When you change to another, that registers on the PPM and keeps recording that data until you switch again. My big concern is the one listed by Craig, unintentional listening. It means a bar, restaurant, business, etc. playing a station that you hate will be registered as one of your choices.

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Posted by geriatric geo on October 12, 2009, 4:42 pm, in reply to "Re: P.P.M.'s (whatever that is)"
76.68.85.32

At 45th St Tim Hortons in Wasaga Beach, patrons frequently holler @ staff to "kill" FM 97.7 "the Beach" and the response is that the tuner is locked in the manager's office and they can't get at it (doesn't happen Tues evenings when Johnny Maracca's program runs)

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Posted by ig on October 12, 2009, 4:52 pm, in reply to "Re: P.P.M.'s (whatever that is)"
99.226.90.65

It's not about your personal choice, any more than it's a popularity contest for your favorite station. It's about what you listened to, or were exposed to, and if that's what was on in the restaurant, then like it or not, that's what you listened to. If your hands were in your ears going lalalalala as long as it was loud enough, the ppm wouldn't pick it up

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Posted by Mike in the Southwest on October 12, 2009, 6:13 pm, in reply to "Re: P.P.M.'s (whatever that is)"
74.15.29.105

It means a bar, restaurant, business, etc. playing a station that you hate will be registered as one of your choices. Very true, but you're still exposed to the station and its advertising even if you don't want to be - in the same bar you might be watching a Leafs game but you might happen to notice an ad for one of Galen Weston's products playing on a TV showing a CFL game you're not interested in. Your awareness of President's Choice thereby is increased, even if you're not thinking about it at the time. There's value in that to the advertiser.

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Posted by Mike Cleaver on October 12, 2009, 7:42 pm, in reply to "Re: P.P.M.'s (whatever that is)"
76.10.186.26

Back in the days when I worked part-time for the Edmonton Muzak franchise, we'd get a lot of service calls about the music not working. About half of them turned out to be sabotage, especially where the amplifier was NOT locked in an office or closet. One of the best ones was cutting one blade from the power plug and then leaving the amp plugged into the wall. We carried a box of plugs in the truck to fix this. Others cut the speaker wires in their area. That was a lot more trouble to find.

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Posted by Stacy on October 12, 2009, 11:18 pm, in reply to "Re: P.P.M.'s (whatever that is)"
174.113.195.35

I would never choose to subscribe to Chatelaine magazine but if I'm in my doctor's office and bored out of my freakin' mind while waiting for my appointment, I'll flip through it. When I do, I see the ads just as clearly as someone who pays for the magazine.

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Posted by radioguy on October 13, 2009, 8:24 am, in reply to "Re: P.P.M.'s (whatever that is)"
206.248.165.32 | Message modified by user radiokid October 13, 2009, 8:38 am

Not really.. The signal that the radio PPM box reads would not be the same as the one they use for the TV. The signal is at an audio frequency the human ear can not hear. So if you have a radio PPM and walk into a bar that has the TV on, they would not get the credit. It only straightens out musizak vs CHFI type mistakes.

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Posted by geriatric geo on October 13, 2009, 8:26 am, in reply to "Re: P.P.M.'s (whatever that is)"
76.68.85.32

speakers are in t-bar ceiling but if someone creates distraction over at the drive-thru . . . thx Mike your recommendation has considerable potential g.g.

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Posted by Charlie O'Brien on October 13, 2009, 11:03 am, in reply to "Re: P.P.M.'s (whatever that is)"
205.210.253.12

The US PPM we live with here in our Detroit market is similar in physical structure to the Canadian device. The software and the analysis of the data are different. The Canadian model uses the 'minute' model grabbing useage by the minute - hence "share of time spent listening" or "hours weekly" is the key metric. In the US they still use the '5 minutes' listening to give your station a "quarter hour" credit. Therefore share in US markets is of AQH or 'average quarter hours.' In Canada every minute registered is a credited minute to time listened. Each time you hit a station it "cumes" and the actual time listened is logged. Sample size is still an issue on both sides. BBM seems to have come up with a novel idea by using the same pool for TV and radio - larger sample size at a smaller cost. The Detroit Metro population of 4.2 million is rated using approximately 1450-1500 in tab meters per week. Right now averaging about 1450. More meters are always going to give you better data. And the meters don't lie.

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Posted by Ken Trew on October 13, 2009, 3:30 pm, in reply to "Re: P.P.M.'s (whatever that is)"
209.91.172.18

what do they want them to play..."The Peak"?

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Posted by geriatric geo on October 13, 2009, 3:57 pm, in reply to "Re: P.P.M.'s (whatever that is)"
76.68.85.32

Rock 95 or 104.1 the Dock (group regulars range age 50 thru late 60s)

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Posted by Johnny O on October 14, 2009, 5:00 pm, in reply to "Re: P.P.M.'s (whatever that is)"
216.183.131.222

Well, I'm glad they aren't yelling to have my show turned off. By the way, apologies to anyone who tried to listen online last night. Apparently our live stream computer program conked out. We've purchased two new hamsters and it seems to be working fine now. Johnny O/Johnny Maraca

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Posted by Ken Trew on October 14, 2009, 11:27 pm, in reply to "Re: P.P.M.'s (whatever that is)"
209.91.172.18

Well I would never guess either of those...are you sure you're not twisting some arms George?

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Posted by geo on October 15, 2009, 5:58 am, in reply to "Re: P.P.M.'s (whatever that is)"
76.68.85.32

Rock 95.7 and the Dock 104.1 play (likely) 50% nostalgia. 97.7 the Beach is aimed at wimmen age 29-54 and most of their muzaak is unrecognizable to us. How many 29-54 age wimmen live in the immediate area, Ken? And that format is saturated from the Peak on the west to Barrie on the east. Gotta be a tough sell.

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Posted by Ken Trew on October 15, 2009, 9:17 am, in reply to "Re: P.P.M.'s (whatever that is)"
209.91.172.18

I am 62 and sampled both but every 3rd or 4th tune forces me to punch the button. Maybe I spent too long playing "women 29 to 54" or whatever music.

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Posted by Timbite on October 16, 2009, 4:44 am, in reply to "Re: P.P.M.'s (whatever that is)"
216.183.131.222

Rock 95!

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Posted by Mosley on October 16, 2009, 11:37 am, in reply to "Re: P.P.M.'s (whatever that is)"
142.46.57.144

Country 93

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