RAB Calls For Single Audience Measurement System

Justin Sampson, managing director of the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), has called on advertisers to consider the potential for a single, joint audience measurement system for radio, TV and other media.

Speaking at ISBA’s Annual Advertising Conference yesterday, Sampson emphasised that a consumer focussed, single source measurement system for a range of media would provide more robust data, whilst offering enhanced insight into cross-media effectiveness.

Sampson told delegates that such a system should be debated alongside RAJAR’s ongoing tests of the Radiocontrol wristwatch and Arbitron pager methods of audience measurement. He emphasised the radio industry’s commitment to electronic meter testing and pointed out that the UK currently leads the field in this area.

He said: “UK radio already invests two and a half times more than any other country in its audience measurement systems and is positively addressing electronic measurement opportunities.”

Sampson’s comments come just weeks after Kelvin MacKenzie’s Wireless Group challenged the existing method of radio audience measurement by commissioning a rival three year survey using electronic measurement devices (see MacKenzie Commissions Rival Radio Audience Survey).

This prompted RAJAR’s managing director, Jane O’Hara to defend the diary system of radio audience measurement, which has provided the currency for trading radio audiences for decades (see RAJAR Defends Diary System In Light Of Rival Research).

RAB: 020 7306 2500 www.rab.co.uk

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