Conyers Requests Probe Of Arbitron

House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) and a number of colleagues on Friday asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate the Arbitron ratings company's use of so-called portable people meters and their impact on radio station revenue streams. Many minority-owned broadcasters have expressed concerns about the validity of data collected by the machines and National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters Executive Director James Winston complained about the devices at a hearing earlier this month. Chairman Conyers wants the report finished by April 2010. Other members signing on to the letter include: House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Edolphus Towns and ranking member Darrell Issa, R-Calif.; Rick Boucher, D-Calif., Hank Johnson, D-Ga., Maxine Waters, D-Calif., Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., Mike Quigley, D-Ill., Pedro Pierluisi, D-P.I., and Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas.