I enjoyed this article. Written from the point of view of someone who has
studied audience research, it demonstrates how inaccurate the ratings systems
can be, while still being important to broadcast industries. Interestingly, the
author makes it a point to distance streaming media from "mass" media because he
doesn't want the new form of communication to fall into "the ratings trap". In
other words, he doesn't want Internet radio and other streaming media to become
like traditional broadcast media.

Makes sense to me. The question is, should Internet radio become a "mass"
media, will it be able to retain its "indie" status as well? Will their still
be room for both independent stations and corporate stations in this space, as
we have today? Or will it become too expensive for independent operators?

Harold J. Johnson
VoyagerRadio
Transmitting Downtempo Electronica to Earth
Site: http://www.VoyagerRadio.com
Blog: http://VoyagerRadio.blogspot.com


> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: RE: [InternetRadioLovers] Join the discussion anytime/Music
> Law Summit West
> From: "Shawn Van Every" <vanevery@...>
> Date: Tue, March 02, 2004 4:32 pm
> To: InternetRadioLovers@yahoogroups.com
>
> Harold,
>
> The Arbitron developments will make life a bit more difficult for ad
> sales folks but I think there are some interesting counter arguments
> to
> be made against traditional Arbitron/Neilson style measurements that
> might help matters. Here is a good article regarding such:
> http://www.streamingmedia.com/article.asp?id=5645&c=16
>
> BTW: I think Arbitron measurements in the internet radio space were
> directly related to actual server logs (at least in the early days).
> Being such, it wouldn't be unreasonable to think that the internet
> broadcasting community could form an organization to provide this
> service to it's members (log analysis, validation and peer ranking).
>
> -shawn
>
> --- Harold@... wrote:
> > Shawn,
> >
> > I'm not certain, but maybe we'll be able to dig up that infomation
> > together. I've always been suspect of traditional methods of
> > evaluating radio broadcasts, since there seems to be no way of
> > accuratey accessing how many people are really listening. I was
> > recently a Nielsen Family and filled out a calendar-like "diary" to
> > report to the Nielsen how much television I was watching. My
> "diary"
> > is supposed to represent X number of listeners. I suspect Arbitron
> > uses a similar method to measure terrestrial radio broadcasts, but
> > I'm not sure.
> >
> > Speaking of Arbitron, some more big news came this week. Looks like
> > Arbitron has stopped measuring Internet radio, as reported in the
> > following article:
> >
> > http://www.clickz.com/news/article.php/3319381
> >
> > I remember a few years ago when the company, known for its
> > measurement of traditional radio ratings, announced it would be
> > measuring Internet radio. They've apparently dropped it because
> they
> > haven't figured out a way to make money to support measurement of
> > Internet radio, though they say they'll "remain committed to the
> > Internet broadcast business and continue to believe in the viability
> > of this medium and its long-term market potential". Well, that's
> > good news, but it's alarming to see the loss of this excellent
> > measuring system. I fear this may stall the arrival of some good
> > advertising models for Internet radio.
> >
> > Does anyone know of any other companies that measure Internet radio?
> >
> > Harold J. Johnson
> > VoyagerRadio
> > Transmitting Downtempo Electronica to Earth
> > Site: http://www.VoyagerRadio.com
> > Blog: http://VoyagerRadio.blogspot.com
> >
> >
> > > -------- Original Message --------
> > > Subject: Re: [InternetRadioLovers] Join the discussion
> > anytime/Music
> > > Law Summit West
> > > From: "Shawn Van Every" <vanevery@...>
> > > Date: Tue, February 24, 2004 12:43 pm
> > > To: InternetRadioLovers@yahoogroups.com
> > >
> > > Harold,
> > >
> > > Your last email reminded me of a question that I have had since
> > > Arbitron and other companies started tracking internet radio
> usage.
> >
> > > Is
> > > there a statistically valid method to compare traditional radio
> > > listening stats (cume and aqh) with internet radio stats (as
> > > represented by Arbitron)?
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > > shawn
> > >
> > > --- Harold@... wrote:
> > > > Gentlemen and Ladies,
> > > >
> > > > I'm certainly not going to badger you about partipating in this
> > > > group--you're free to participate in this group in any way you
> > like,
> > > > whether that be as a silent observer or an active
> > conversationalist.
> > >
> > > > I'm perfectly happy letting you all know what's new in the world
> > of
> > > > Internet radio, but I just wanted to let you know--just in case
> > you
> > > > didn't already--that you're free to jump in with your own
> > Internet
> > > > radio topic at any time. Besides, I can't possibly know
> > everything
> > > > about this new medium. So feel free to take a topic and run
> with
> > it
> > > > anytime!
> > > >
> > > > The Music Law Summit West takes place on Wednesday in San
> > Francisco
> > > [
> > > > http://www.futureofmusic.org/events/hastings04/index.cfm ].
> > Panel
> > > > topics will include: peer-to-peer file sharing, digital download
> > > > stores, major label contracts, and music & politics. The event
> > will
> > > > include a keynote by Lawrence Lessig [
> > http://www.lessig.org/blog/
> > > ].
> > > >
> > > > Paul Maloney of the Radio And Internet Newsletter [
> > > > http://www.kurthanson.org ] reports that the latest Arbitron
> > > Internet
> > > > Broadcast Ratings show that in January nearly all networks
> > rebounded
> > > > from December's marked decreases:
> > > >
> > > > http://www.kurthanson.com/archive/news/022004/index.asp
> > > >
> > > > Apparently, folks are returning to their favorite webcasts after
> > > > switching to holiday program in December. The Arbitron ratings
> > can
> > > > be found here:
> > > >
> > > > http://www.arbitron.com/newsroom/archive/WCR02_19_04.htm
> > > >
> > > > Harold J. Johnson
> > > > VoyagerRadio
> > > > Transmitting Downtempo Electronica to Earth
> > > > Site: http://www.VoyagerRadio.com
> > > > Blog: http://VoyagerRadio.blogspot.com
> > > >
> > > >
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