Arbitron / Nielsen Audio

Arbitron, founded in 1949, was the dominant US radio ratings service until Nielsen acquired the company in 2013 and rebranded it as Nielsen Audio. The transition united TV and radio measurement under a single methodology provider and accelerated the shift from handwritten paper diaries to electronic Portable People Meter (PPM) panels in major metros.

Nielsen Audio's ratings are the currency of US radio buying and selling. Every rate card, every agency plan, every upfront negotiation, and every performance evaluation at a US station references Nielsen Audio AQH, Cume, and Rating data. Outside the US, equivalent bodies include Kantar, Ipsos, and regional measurement unions.