McArthur Supports RAJAR Over Electronic Measurement
RAB chief executive, Douglas McArthur, has written to advertisers and media planning agencies urging them to support RAJAR’s commitment to continue testing electronic measurement systems.
Last week the research body announced plans to invest a further £500,000 in testing the latest audiometers, following its recent decision to stick to the current diary system of audience measurement (see RAJAR To Invest In Further Electronic Measurement Trials).
The plan to carry out further tests attracted criticism from outspoken Wireless Group chief executive, Kelvin MacKenzie, who accused RAJAR of finding ‘any excuse’ to successfully delay the introduction of the electronic measurement of radio audiences.
However, McArthur defends RAJAR claiming it should be congratulated for taking the ‘world lead’ in exploring candidate meter technologies, rather than attacked for being slow in adopting them.
He said: “Though I am not a member of the RAJAR board, I have no doubt that they are acting sensibly given the test results. Remember the difficulty that BARB has with changing 5,000 meters and RAJAR needs to place 150,000.”
McAuthur emphasised the ‘erratic variability’ between the Arbitron Portable People Meter and the Radiocontrol wristwatch that was uncovered by RAJAR’s previous trials. He pointed to differences of up to 600% in individual station measurements and an overall discrepancy of over a third in terms of hours listened.
He said: “I support the RAJAR board decision. This decision wasn’t, as some suggest, a stitch-up by the big boys of commercial radio. I understand that this was a unanimous decision by the whole RAJAR board – including BBC Radio, the IPA and ISBA.”
McArthur called on advertisers to ‘hurry RAJAR’ along with its next stage of development, but warned against blaming the research body for the time taken for the second generation meters to be developed.
Last year the RAB’s managing director, Justin Sampson, sent a letter to advertisers and agencies defending RAJAR’s diary system of audience measurement against attacks made by Wireless Group chairman and chief executive, Kelvin MacKenzie (see RAB Defends RAJAR’s Diary System Against Criticism).
RAB: 020 7306 2500 www.rab.co.uk
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