Morris announced his intention to retire at the start of the year when he gave up his position as chief executive, a job he had held for 16 years.

The role passed to Michael Skarzynski, who has set about reshaping the firm through staff cuts and management reshuffles since taking over.

Morris remained as chairman to advise Skarzynski during the transition, but it was announced today that the board of directors had elected his replacement.

Guarascio, 67, has been a member of the Arbitron board since 2001, serving as a chairman and member of several committees in that time.

His background is in advertising and he spent 15 years as vice president of corporate advertising and marketing for General Motors, commanding one of the largest media budgets in the US.

“Phil’s impressive career, vast experience and industry expertise continues to be incredibly valuable for the company,” said Skarzynski. “As Arbitron evolves, we will continue to rely on Phil’s leadership and guidance as we work to enhance our existing services, and forge ahead in research and development that we expect will help create new multimedia offerings for our domestic and international clients.”