Archive for Friday, September, 26, 2008

The Best Offense Is A Good Defense…

Friday, September, 26, 2008 by Mel Phillips.

(Weekend Edition) 

Yes I know I reversed the football metaphor but it’s a perfect analogy for the defensive strategy being used by Arbitron.  With minority coalitions in New York, New Jersey and all points west ‘piling on’ Arbitron’s PPM methodology, the audience measurement company finds itself defending its very existence.  The PPM Coalition’s emergency petition to the FCC asking the commission to investigate PPM methodology required still another response from Arbitron and this time they didn’t pull any punches…

Arbitron says the PPMC petition “is replete with misstatements of acts, unsupported speculation, and overheated rhetoric” and that “an examination of only a few of the allegations at the heart of the petition demonstrates that the petitioners cannot support the extreme measures that they demand.” …

Arbitron, with the use of charts, points out that ”a number of stations that target minority audiences have maintained or increased market ranking since the introduction of PPM.”  Cited were Urban, Latin and Rhythmic formatted stations in Houston, Philadelphia and New York…

Arbitron also cites some sampling figures, saying “minority and young adult representation are as good or better in PPM samples compared to Arbitron’s diary surveys.”  They also note that the PPM sample includes cell-phone-only households saying “the PPM cell-phone-only sample group shows comparatively high indices for persons of color who may be more likely listeners to Urban and Spanish-language radio stations.” …

Whether or not you’re a fan of Arbitron or ratings in general, applaud Arbitron for defending themselves as accurately and definitively as they have.  You can make all the accusations you want but they better be justifiable and in this case, they are not…   

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1941] Teddy Ballgame: Ted Williams goes 6 for 6 in a doubleheader and finishes with a .406 batting average. No one has done it since. Same date 10 years later in 1951, Williams hits a home run in his last at-bat (9/28)…
  2. 1954] Tonight, Tonight: Steve Allen becomes the first host of the new “Tonight Show“…2004] NBC-TV tells Conan O’Brien he will become the new host of the show replacing Jay Leno in 2009 (both happened on 9/27 - 50 years apart)…
  3. 1955] Wedding Bells: Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher walk down the aisle and then go on an “Aba Dabba Honeymoon“. After 4 years Eddie Fisher calls out for help, singing “Oh My Papa” (9/26)…
  4. 1955] In living color: The World Series is televised in color for the first time. I watched it in a store window on 13th Avenue in Borough Park - not happy to see the Dodgers win (9/28).  This clip is in B&W…
  5. 1957] Premiered on this date: “West Side Story” at the Winter Garden Theater (for 732 performances) (9/26).  This is a scene from the movie…1961] Richard Chamberlain starts making house calls as “Dr. Kildare” (9/28). Four days later “Ben Casey” debuts…1962] “Beverly Hillbillies” which will air for 9 seasons (9/26)…1964] “Gilligan’s Island” for 3 seasons and then re-runs forever (9/26)…1968] “Hawaii Five-O” which says ‘Aloha’ after its 12th season (9/26)…1969] “The Brady Bunch” which lasts 5 seasons (9/26)…1969] The Fillmore West opens in San Francisco (9/26)…1975] “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” with Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick and Meatloaf premieres (9/26)…
  6. 1960] Debate? That’s debatable: The first of four nationally televised debates between presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon is held (9/26). Guess who won???
  7. 1964] Warren wrap: The Warren Commission issues a report on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy concluding that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone (9/27). Questions remain…
  8. 1973] What’s your name?: Carlos Santana, a disciple of Sri Chinmoy, changes his name to Devadip, begging the question, was it Devadip Santana or Santana Devadip? Hare Krishna! (9/27)…
  9. 1991] ‘Happy Trails’: Jazz great Miles Davis dies of a stroke at 65 (9/28)…2003] Tennis champion Althea Gibson dies at 76 from respiratory failure (9/28)…2004] Legendary disc jockey Scott Muni passes away at 74 after suffering a stroke earlier in the year (9/28)…
  10. 2007] Hung jury: The murder trial of Phil Spector ends in a mistrial when the jury fails to reach a unanimous verdict (9/26). Spector allegedly shot actress Lana Clarkson fatally at his mansion in 2003…

Music Memories:

Commentary:

Former player and coach Johnny Pesky’s uniform number 6 will be retired tonight at Fenway Park by the Red Sox. Johnny turns a youthful 89 on Saturday. Congratulations Johnny and Happy Birthday…This Sunday (9/28) the 21st Annual Walk For Hospice Of The North Shore, a 3-mile walk will start and end at St. John’s Prep in Danvers (MA). Paul Power will be doing his 4th walk and Paul invites anyone in the area to join him. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the walk starts at 9. Any questions? Call 978.223.9787 or show up at Cronin Memorial Stadium, 72 Spring Street. Good luck Paul and I hope the rain holds off…

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday”:

(9/26)
Serena Williams (27), Jillian Barberie (42), Melissa Sue Anderson (46), WFAN’s Joe Benigno (55), Olivia Newton-John (60), Lynn Anderson (61), Christie Todd Whitman (62), Bryan Ferry (63), John Zacherle (90) and Jack LaLanne (94)…(9/27) Avril Lavigne (24), Gwyneth Paltrow (36), Marvin Lee Aday a.k.a. Meatloaf (61), Randy Bachman (65), Don Cornelius (72), Wilford Brimley (74), Jayne Meadows (88) and Johnny Pesky (89)…(9/28) Hilary Duff (21), Naomi Watts (40), Mira Sorvino (41), Janeane Garofalo (44), Ben E. King (70), Brigitte Bardot (74), Arnold Stang (83) and William Windom (85)…

Timeline Countdown: 2 days until the end of the regular MLB season, 4 days until the playoffs and 27 days until the first game of the World Series…

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