RAJAR Enters Third Phase Of Audiometer Testing

RAJAR has announced that is has moved into the third phase of its audiometer testing programme.

In September RAJAR launched a six-month test of the US manufactured Arbitron portable people meter. The test is monitoring the listening habits of 300 London households to 32 cross-platform radio services.

RAJAR is hoping that the testing period will ascertain if respondents wear the meters over an extended period and the level of accuracy the method achieves. RAJAR will also be assessing a number of other areas including what the key data differences may be compared with the existing diary system.

Jane O’Hara, managing director of RAJAR, commented: “We have reached the third stage of our 15-month test programme on the two audiometers. During the first eight months of testing RAJAR has undertaken extensive tests on the meters including acoustic, placement, compliance, breakfast listening and qualitative tests.”

She added: “They have been painstaking and exhaustive but they have paid off and as a result we understand a great deal more about meters and how they work. Now we need to discover how complete and robust the data they capture is to ascertain whether it can be trusted as a reliable and stable currency.”

A similar test project is scheduled to begin shortly on the Swiss developed radio controlled wristwatch.

Last month Kelvin MacKenzie’s Wireless Group completed the first UK trial of an electronic wristwatch system of audience measurement, which showed that people listened to more stations but for shorter periods of time compared to RAJAR’s figures (see TWG Research Claims Radio Listening Is Under-Represented).

RAJAR: 020 7903 5350 www.rajar.co.uk

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