Arbitron Radio Listening Survey of Kids & Tweens Provides Insights Into Large and Loyal Audience.

Business Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 25, 2000

Radio is an effective medium for reaching children between the ages of six and 11 with 90 percent listening to radio eight to nine hours per week, according to a new "kids and 'tweens' listening" survey by The Arbitron Company.

The survey - conducted in New York City, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Los Angeles - indicated that children have very distinct listening preferences that can be targeted for delivering specific messages. Format preference was apparent at an early age, along with the difference between the sexes. In Los Angeles, for example, 67 percent of the girls, age six to 11, preferred a Top 40 station while 71 percent of the boys in the same age range preferred a rhythmic contemporary hits radio (CHR) station.

"We now see that developing our audience at a young age is important," said Roy Laughlin, president and general manager, KIIS-FM, Los Angeles. "These six- to 11-year-olds grow up, and it's gratifying to see specific formats like ours are attracting future 25- to 54-year-olds. In addition to the immediate benefits of validating an even larger audience, there is a plethora of new non-spot opportunities for advertisers."

This is the first syndicated local market ratings survey made available by Arbitron that explores the listening habits of kids (six- to eight-year-olds) and "tweens" (nine- to 11-year-olds).

"Over the years Arbitron's studies have provided important insights into the listening habits of teenagers," said Doyle Rose, president, EMMIS Communications. "This new study helps us understand a younger audience and when they are most likely to be tuning in."

Additional findings in Arbitron's "Kids and Tweens Listening Survey" are:

- Children are loyal listeners and usually stick with one or two

stations;

- Boys and girls show different listening preferences;

- Kids and tweens show different listening preferences;

- Standard Arbitron diaries can capture children's listening;

- Listenership among children, age six to 11, is strongest in

the afternoon/evenings, before school in the mornings and on

weekends.

"The survey confirms what we suspected, that radio fits into children's lifestyles and is a frequent companion at an early age," said Rick Berger, president of Next Generation Radio, which develops business for the radio industry focusing on youth-targeted brands. "We were, however, surprised by the loyalty of the youngsters to stations and formats. This is information stations and advertisers can use to their advantage."

The study becomes even more revealing when combined with Arbitron's data for teenage (age 12 to 17) listeners and adults (age 18+). For example, while teenagers and those over 18 listen to more radio, they also listen to more stations. The kids and tweens, however, listen to more radio on the weekends than teenagers.

"We found it particularly revealing that the youngsters have one favorite station and stick with it almost constantly, unlike their older siblings who switch between three and four stations," said John Fullam, senior vice president of AMFM Inc, New York City. "They certainly qualify as 'loyal listeners'."

"Everything matches up perfectly when you compare how the kids and 'tweens' spend time with radio to teens and adults," said Marc Kalman, general manager, KDWB-FM, Minneapolis-St. Paul. "The young girls tend to listen more than the young boys do, just as teenage girls listen longer than teenage boys do. It all makes sense."

Children As Respondents

Arbitron found the young children to be very receptive and conscientious survey participants. They filled out their diaries and were eager to share their views.

"Arbitron not only has confidence in the statistical reliability of its estimates from its years of survey experience, but the results are also in line with what most parents will tell you about their young children--they are passionate about radio and they know what they like," said Pierre Bouvard, executive vice president, Arbitron.

Parents were asked to help the children with their diaries, but many of the diaries included opinions painstakingly written in pencil by the youngsters, including "I liked working with you" and "this was fun." As the mother of six-year-old Amanda noted, "She wanted to write to you herself."

"Besides the audience estimates, the diaries provide us with insights into what kids like and don't like in programming," said Judy Ellis, senior vice president of EMMIS and Market Manager of WQCD/WRKS/WQHT in New York City. "Comments such as 'I like the music' and 'I wish we could win cool stuff' let us hear from an important audience sector that usually has no voice."

"It is terrific that we are finally seeing some definitive research on children," said Debbie Solomon, chair of the Youth Research Council of the Advertising Research Foundation and senior partner, Media Research, J. Walter Thompson. "We know that kids listen to the radio, but we have never had a good idea of how much."

The survey was conducted between February 3 and March 29, 2000.

Arbitron is conducting a follow-up study to gain an understanding of children's developmental awareness of radio through detailed telephone interviews with the children and parents who participated in this survey. This study is designed to gain insights into what age children start making their own listening choices and when they start being influenced by what they hear on the radio.

The follow-up study will be available later this summer. To learn more on "Kids and Tweens Survey," call Thom Mocarsky at Arbitron, 212-887-1314. To find out how to use radio to accomplish your youth marketing objectives, call Rick Berger at Next Generation Radio, 212-916-0714.

About Arbitron

The Arbitron Company is an international media and marketing research firm providing services to broadcasters, advertisers and advertising agencies in the United States and Europe. In the United States, Arbitron measures local radio audiences, and develops qualitative measures of local consumers through RetailDirect and through Scarborough Research, a joint venture of The Arbitron Company and VNU Marketing Information Services. Tapscan Worldwide(R), a market leader in desktop development and part of the Arbitron family, offers a host of software services that simplify both data and analysis and the buy/sell process. In the United Kingdom and Europe, Continental Research, a unit of The Arbitron Company, conducts market research in the media, financial and telecommunications and advertising arenas. Arbitron Internet Information Services provides survey research, consulting and methodological services including InfoStream(TM), America's first Webcast ratings service.

The Arbitron Company is an international media and marketing research firm providing services to broadcasters, advertisers and advertising agencies in the United States and Europe. In the United States, Arbitron measures local radio audiences, and develops qualitative measures of local consumers through RetailDirect and through Scarborough Research, a joint venture of The Arbitron Company and VNU Marketing Information Services. Tapscan Worldwide(R), a market leader in desktop development and part of the Arbitron family, offers a host of software services that simplify both data and analysis and the buy/sell process. In the United Kingdom and Europe, Continental Research, a unit of The Arbitron Company, conducts market research in the media, financial and telecommunications and advertising arenas. Arbitron Internet Information Services provides survey research, consulting and methodological services to the cable, direct broadcast satellite, telecommunications, on-line and new media industries through its Internet Information Services and Cable Media Solutions divisions.

Arbitron is a Ceridian company. Ceridian Corporation (www.ceridian.com) is a leading information services company that serves the human resources, transportation and media information markets. Ceridian's human resources businesses offer HR/benefits solutions that support organizations' complete employment life cycle and maximize their investment in people. Its Comdata business is a provider of transaction processing and information services to the transportation and other industries, and its media services business, Arbitron, is a research company serving the media industry.

InfoStream is a service mark of Arbitron. All product names used are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. This press release is available on the KCSA Web site at www.kcsa.com.