Univision encodes broadcasts for PPM, but doesn't take Arbitron data

The firm has switched on encoding in Miami, Phoenix, San Diego, San Antonio and Las Vegas but will not subscribe to Arbitron’s ratings data in the markets.

The decision, the firm said, was instead due to complaints from ad agencies and advertisers about the lack of data for Spanish radio.

In a statement, Univision said: “We are making this decision in response to your needs to have the information to make decisions. We appreciate the support we’ve received from you and your team as we’ve worked to address the PPM issues.”

Univision, like a number of other minority-focused broadcasters, has expressed concern about the accuracy of ratings data produced by PPM. A common complaint from black and Hispanic broadcasters is that their audiences are underrepresented and therefore undercounted, leading to lower audience figures and lower ad revenues.

Among those objecting to PPM data is Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS), which was last week granted permission by a New York court to cease encoding its broadcasts in its dispute with Arbitron.