NABOB joins others to protest PPM rating system to the FCC

The heat is on in the ongoing battle between groups representing minority broadcasters and Arbitron, regarding PPM's affect on Black and Spanish-formatted stations. The National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) has joined with the Spanish Radio Association, the Minority Media Telecommunications Council and several other companies and organizations, in filing a petition requesting that the FCC investigate Arbitron's Personal People Meter (PPM) audience measurement system. In the petition, NABOB and the other petitioners claim that the current PPM methodology under counts and misrepresents the number of minority radio listeners. The petitioners state that, unless the Commission acts now, implementation of the PPM methodology in four of the largest radio markets in the country: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco could undermine the financial viability of minority-owned radio stations in these and other markets.