The days of consumers using a pen and pad for keeping a daily log ofthe radio shows they listen to for Arbitron Inc. is coming to an end.
The Columbia rating company is rolling out a pager-size electronic device it calls the “Portable People Meter.”
The firm, which tracks the popularity of radio programs, plans to roll out the device in the top 10 U.S. radio markets by 2008.
The device, which is worn by a consumer and records inaudible codes being broadcast on radio shows, will then be rolled out to the rest of the top 50 radio markets within three years.
Arbitron plans to bring the device to the 21st-ranked Baltimore radio market by 2009.
“We believe advertisers will have increased confidence in the medium, thanks to the increased accountability that electronic measurement delivers,” Steve Morris, Arbitron chief executive, said in a written statement.
