Calling on the radio industry to prepare and adapt for the future, RAB President and CEO Jeff Haley announced at RAB2008 in Atlanta that the Radio Advertising Bureau is forming a marketing alliance with the two major national rep firms, Katz and Interep, to increase advertisers’ investment in radio. “I’m glad to say that for a specific list of clients, Katz, Interep and the RAB will combine their efforts and provide a single point of contact for all communication with advertisers and their agencies,” Haley said in his keynote speech.
Without actually mentioning Arbitron or PPM, Haley called for the industry to speak with one voice on the transition to behavioral-based research. “Dissension breeds mistrust and doubt amongst our key supporters in the advertising community. To be clear, I’m not advocating a specific plan or endorsing a specific partner. I’m calling for a unanimous and unequivocally clear position that all broadcasters agree to adhere to. We must be together on this issue,” Haley said.
He did, however, advocate a specific plan when it comes to the long contentious issue of posting, which some advertisers and agencies are pressing for with the continuous flow of ratings data from PPM. “The debate is over. We will post,” Haley declared.
