Lynch at Large

Peter Kafka,
Forbes
08.17.05, 6:00 AM ET

This is not exactly breaking news, but it is noteworthy that Forbes magazine is finally catching up to something that was first announced in June.

Arbitron ratings are the absolute horse and buggy of the statistical world and it is not entirely astonishing that broadcasters, at the dawn of the 21st. Century, should demand 20th. Century technology.

Radio broadcasting is driven by green ignorance and feat, so trust me when I tell you that Clear Channel's demand for better rating service is motivated by a strong survival instinct. One thing that is happening in the free market is the internet. Podcasters, webcasters, and any company that sells advertising from an internet address can tell how many hits they have, how many are "unique" hits, and where they come from. It's not an estimate either. Unlike Arbitron, based on witchcraft, internet advertisers know exactly how many people are exposed to their advertising.

So many good people and promising careers have been harmed by the ARB ratings, it's about time broadcasters woke up. Yeah, I have an obvious prejudice, but facts are facts As our beloved second president, John Adams, once said, "facts are hard things."