HTTP member, the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, sent a letter to William Kerr, CEO of Arbitron, regarding the USHCC’s concern that a resolution to community and industry concerns about Arbitron’s flawed Portable People Meter (PPM) audience measurement system.

In the letter, USHCC President and CEO, Javier Palomarez, wrote:
For the past two years, Congress has been closely monitoring the introduction
by Arbitron of its new Portable People Meter radio ratings system. Over that
period, numerous concerns have been raised about the reliability of this new
system, particularly in regard to the accurate measurement of minority
communities. These concerns have been expressed through numerous letters
and public statements by both parties and both chambers of Congress. We
write to you now with a sense of increasing urgency that this matter be
resolved before further damage is done to the public interest in a diverse and
audience-driven radio marketplace.

In December of last year, the House Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform held a hearing at which your predecessor was asked to work with the
Media Ratings Council (MRC) and the Coalition of industry representatives
who serve minority audiences to develop a road map for fixing the PPM
system’s flaws. Three months later, Congress is still waiting for affirmative
evidence that this road map is being put in place and implemented.
This unfinished business is a source of grave concern. Our constituents rely
upon radio for news, information and connection to their community. The
radio system can only deliver if it is based on reliable ratings. Arbitron’s
failure to deliver an agreed upon road map for fixing the PPM system puts that
public interest at risk. Therefore, we urge you to work with expeditiously to
come to an agreement with the industry Coalition and the MRC so that the
listening public can be assured of reliable ratings.

We ask that in your response to this letter, you provide us with a detailed
update of the status of your company’s work toward resolving this matter, along with a clear indication of when we can expect to see concrete evidence of improved reliability in PPM.

Sincerely,

Javier Palomarez

USHCC President and CEO