By Caitlin Pike
Rajar is to spend a further £500,000 and recruit more than 3,500
adults to carry out the next stage of electronic audiometer testing as
part of its plan to improve radio audience measurement by 2007.
The money will pay for national fieldwork tests of the Arbitron
Portable People Meter (PPM) and the Eurisko Media Monitor. Electronic
audiometers will replace the pen and paper diary system kept by
selected listeners which has been accused of being “hopelessly
oldfashioned and inaccurate” by Wireless Group chief Kelvin MacKenzie.
Audiometers identify FM, AM and digital stations being listened to in a wide variety of day-to-day conditions.
Rajar’s
managing director, Sally de la Bedoyere, said: “Rajar’s additional
investment of £500,000, on top of the £1.5m we have already spent on
audiometer testing, is further confirmation of our commitment to this
ground breaking research.
“We are now not only able to implement
the most extensive fieldwork tests ever undertaken in the UK, but also
ensure we are on course with our roadmap to enhanced radio audio
measurement, earmarked for 2007.”
The tests will start on 6 June
and will run for 12 weeks. De la Bedoyere said: “In particular, we are
looking to allay the concerns which arose from our last series of
fieldwork tests. These include the actual time respondents put on the
audiometers and whether they wear them all day; whether there is a time
of day when they are less likely to wear them; whether there are any
demographic groups which have a problem wearing them; and how children
will cope with wearing/carrying them.
“The tests will also
provide a first opportunity to analyse listening data which has been
captured on a national basis, and ascertain whether there are any
regional variances.”
Three tests are to take place involving a
sample of 3,500 adults from the age of 15 upwards. In addition, one
child aged six and above will be recruited for every 10 adults.
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