The return of Don Imus to radio nearly doubled the number of Arbitron Portable People Meters (PPMs) that reported exposure to WABC-AM in Morning Drive, according to a special tabulation of Portable People Meter data in New York, Arbitron said.
The data indicate that the number of PPMs that reported exposure to WABC-AM from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 3, increased 87% over the average number of meters that tracked exposure to WABC-AM in Morning Drive during the previous 10 Mondays.
Looking at the percentage increase in meter counts in individual quarter-hours over the course of the inaugural Imus broadcast, the number of PPMs that indicated exposure to WABC increased by a minimum of 33% to as much as 251%.
Percent increase in Persons 6+ Meter count to WABC-AM by quarter-hour
Monday, December 3 vs. Monday average (Sep. 24-Nov. 26) Arbitron PPM “pre-currency” ratings service in the New York Metro:
Note: The percentage increases cited are for the raw counts of Portable People Meters that registered exposure to WABC-AM. They have not been weighted nor qualified for in-tab status and so should not be used to estimate ratings by factoring these against previously published estimates for WABC-AM in morning drive. These data serve only as a general indication of the radio audience behavior in light of a change in programming.
