The award was presented by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas for the “significant impact that this technological advancement has had on television audience measurement”.

The chairman of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Herb Granath, said: “We are pleased to commend technology and engineering professionals who contribute to the on-going development of technology that revolutionises television.”

Arbitron CEO Michael Skarzynski (pictured) said the firm was “honoured” to receive the award. He added: “Media consumption is evolving and and it’s becoming more important than ever to understand the role all media play in individual consumers’ lives. Arbitron’s PPM technology gives broadcasters the capability to focus on individual consumers, wherever and whenever they access encoded media.”

He also paid tribute to PPM panelists, saying that the award “would not have been possible” without them.

Although mainly used for radio ratings, Arbitron has started to use PPMs to provide television viewing information and was last month awarded a contract by broadcaster NBC to provide audience measurement for the upcoming Winter Olympics.

The devices are also used in Arbitron’s out-of-home TV measurement service, ARB-TV. Internationally, PPMs are used to track TV viewing in Canada and Iceland.