Never Listen to Céline? Radio Meter Begs to Differ

As the radio industry converts from measuring ratings through surveys to monitoring listeners electronically using so-called Portable People Meters, it is finding that what people say they do and what they actually do is different. Apparently, more men mellow out to Air Supply than are willing to admit it. But the new system has serious repercussions, especially for classical radio. When 12 major areas, including New York and Los Angeles, switched to the system last year, classical radio's market share fell 10.7 percent in those areas, a significant drop, according to a study by Research Director, a ratings consultancy. Talk radio, a largely conservative format, turns out to have fewer fans than previously thought. Mainstream formats like oldies, news and country have fared better. Meanwhile, smooth jazz has hit a low note. The makeup and size of Arbitron's sample is an issue for some Hispanic and urban broadcasters, who say metered readings undercount minority audiences and hurt their stations disproportionately.