A few weeks ago, Philadelphia became the first city in the United States to abandon the pen-and-ink diary system of collecting radio ratings data. Instead, Philadelphians who are being surveyed by Arbitron, the ratings measurement service, now wear pager-size devices that register hidden audio tones in nearby radio sound. Arbitron calls the devices Portable People Meters, or P.P.M.’s.
The release of the new data has affected rankings in Philadelphia’s radio market. In particular, stations that cater to a mostly black audience have suffered relative to their competitors. For example, WDAS, an R&B and soul station, was Philadelphia’s No. 2 station last fall, as ranked by its share of all listeners during the average quarter-hour. But in the most recent rankings, it came in at No. 7. WUSL, which plays hip-hop and R&B, went from No. 4 to No. 10. [ MORE ]
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