NAACP, MMTC Urge Obama To Intervene In PPM Dispute
August 10, 2009: A letter to President Obama from Hilary Shelton, the director of the NAACP's Washington, DC, bureau; Minority Media and Telecommunications Council President David Honig; and Hispanic Telecommunications and Technology Partnership Director Sylvia Aguilera urges Obama to become involved in the ongoing controversy over Arbitron's Portable People Meter, which some contend seriously undercounts the audiences for minority-targeted radio stations.
The letter says, "Without the immediate intervention of the federal government, we stand to lose a valuable and irreplaceable resource -- the independent voice of minority radio."
The letter's signers contend that Arbitron's "faulty" ratings data has "placed black- and Latino-serving radio stations in the worst possible situation in their fight to weather the economic storm that has affected every facet of our society and -- disproportionately -- the radio industry." They go on to say that "efforts" by Congress, the FCC, and the Media Rating Council "have yet to cause Arbitron to deviate from its continued deployment of a radio ratings system (PPM) that deeply undercounts and seriously misrepresents the listening habits of minority radio audiences."
The letter also notes that the PPM has not been accredited in most markets, and says it was denied accreditation "in many of the largest markets." The MRC at the beginning of last year denied the PPM accreditation in New York and Philadelphia and has accredited it in the Houston and Riverside markets.
The FCC is conducting a notice of inquiry into the PPM, but at this point has not launched a formal investigation and is taking comment on whether it has the jurisdiction to do so. Additionally, House Judiciary Committee Chair John Conyers (D-MI) and other lawmakers recently asked the Government Accountability Office to look at the PPM, and the House Oversight Committee has asked the FCC to share the information the commission gathers in the NOI.
The letter to Obama says that "bad PPM data results in bad broadcasting decision, negatively impacts the public interest, undermines minority broadcasters, and works against our mutual goals to advance and support diversity in our nation's airwaves" and concludes, "We urge you to lend your leadership to address this critical situation, and we stand ready to support you in whatever manner you deem appropriate."
Add a Comment
