Give Arbitron credit. If they operated a radio group instead of a measurement company, they would be one of the best. Despite all the obstacles they faced in 2009, they only lost 2.6% of their revenue in Q1 year-over-year. Arbitron went through more tsuris than many broadcast groups suffer in a lifetime. Their most serious threat came from the PPM Coaltion, led by Edolphus Towns, a member of the House who led the charge to change Arbitron's Portable People Meter methodology. Can you imagine how hard it was for Arbitron President/CEO Bill Kerr to thank Towns and his team for "helping move this dialogue forward" in announcing the settlement between Arbitron and the coalition. Arbitron now "plans to move forward collaboratively" with the PPM Coalition and a little help from the Media Rating Council, the folks that handle accreditation, something Arbitron has had a difficult time in receiving...
Not only did Arbitron survive the PPM Coalition, they also survived the loss of Cumulus and Clear Channel small market stations that opted for Nielsen's diary service, a rotten economy that affected new business and renewals and Univision pulling the PPM plug in several markets. Those obstacles were offset by higher PPM pricing in 33 markets where the service is commercialized...
The rest of 2010 should be much better than the nightmare Arbitron faced in 2009. Radio groups that break down court room doors to file for chapter 11, would do well to learn how a good organization survives...
10 Timeline Memories:
1.1901] You're so vain: New York becomes the first state to require automobile license plates and they're all vanity plates containing initials (4/25). This collector has a vanity plate for each of the 50 states...
2.1963] One for the thumb and then some: Led by Bob Cousy & Bill Russell, the Celtics win their fifth consecutive NBA title (4/24)...
3.1969] Guilty as charged: Sirhan B. Sirhan is sentenced to death for the assassination of New York Senator Robert F. Kennedy. The sentence is later reduced to life in prison which Sirhan is now serving in California (4/23)...
4.1974] The NFL rules: The NFL adopts 2 new rules: 1) Allowing for a 15-minute sudden-death overtime period during regular season games and 2) They move the goal posts to the back of the end zone (4/25)...
5.1976] American hero: Cubs outfielder Rick Monday rescues the American flag from two unruly fans at Dodgers Stadium that were about to burn it in centerfield. Monday snatches it away and becomes America's newest hero (4/25)...
6.1985] Ain't nothing like the real thing baby: Coca Cola changes its 99-year old secret formula but "New Coke" fizzes out and they go back to the original formula (4/23)...
7.1988] Smoking permitted outside planes only: A U.S. federal law takes effect banning smoking on flights under 2 hours (4/23)...
8.1990] Eye in the sky: Space shuttle Discovery blasts off from Cape Canaveral carrying the $1.5 billion Hubble Space Telescope and a lifetime supply of Windex (4/24)...The Hubble is deployed on 4/25...
9.1994] How sweep it is: The New York Rangers sweep the Islanders in the opening round of the NHL playoffs. The Broadway Blues were on their way to their 1st Stanley Cup championship since 1940 (4/24)...
10.2005] Runaway bride: Missing Georgia woman Jennifer Wilbanks turns up in New Mexico, originally claiming to have been abducted but later admits she was a runaway bride (4/25)...
Music Memories:
- 1957] Released on this date: "A Teenager's Romance" - Ricky Nelson (4/24)(his first release)...1971] "Sticky Fingers" LP - Rolling Stones (4/23)...
- 1963] Recorded on this date: "Surf City" - Jan & Dean (4/23) (here's a classic clip of Jan & Dean on Steve Allen's show)...1967] "All You Need Is Love" - Beatles 4/25) (Marianne Faithfull is one of the voices in the chorus)...
- 2000] Nyuck, nyuck, nyuck: ABC-TV does the 'Curly Shuffle' when they air the TV movie "The Three Stooges" (4/24)...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday": (4/23) Dev Patel (20), Kal Penn (37), my brother-in-law Phil Vettor (39), Melina Kanakaredes (43), George Lopez (49), Valerie Bertinelli (50), Jan Hooks (53), Michael Moore (56), Joyce De Witt (61), Tony Esposito (67), Lee Majors (71) and Shirley Temple (82)...(4/24) Kelly Clarkson (28), Carlos Beltran (33), Cedric the Entertainer (46), CCR's drummer Doug "Cosmo" Clifford (65), Barbra Streisand (68) and Shirley MacLaine (76)...(4/25) Renee Zellweger (41), Joe Buck (41), Jason Lee (41), Hank Azaria (46), Talia Shire (64), ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus (65), Creedence Clearwater Revival's Stu Cook (65), Al Pacino (70), Jerry Leiber (77) and a special "Happy Birthday" to Diane...
Timeline Countdown: Day 2 of the NFL draft, 8 days until the Kentucky Derby, 16 days until Mothers Day and 38 days until Memorial Day...
