Nielsen and Carter Broadcast Group Inc. Announce Multi-year Comprehensive Agreement for Audio Ratings Service

New York, NY — March 11, 2020 — Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN) and Carter Broadcast Group Inc. have reached a multi-year renewal agreement for Nielsen Audio measurement. This agreement encompasses Nielsen’s local syndicated products and services. Specifically, the new agreement includes the PPM local market report, respondent level data, TAPSCAN web, PPM weeklies, PDAdvantage Web, and Nielsen Scarborough. 

Carter Broadcast Group Inc. is based in Kansas City, Mo., and is the oldest Black-owned and family operated radio broadcast company in the U.S. The Carter Family owns and operates radio stations KPRT-AM, KPRT-IA, KPRS-IF, and KPRS FM—Kansas City’s No. 1 station for hip hop and R&B. 

Nielsen Audio’s function in the radio ad marketplace as the transactional “currency” and its reputation as the de facto standard for impartial, third-party audience measurement, were cited as key factors in the broadcaster’s decision to renew ties with the global measurement company.

“Everyone counts—and everyone needs to be counted,” said Christopher “Rod” Carter, Senior Vice President of Carter Broadcast Group. “That’s true across all media but particularly for minority-owned media. Since 1950, as America’s oldest Black-owned and family operated radio station, Carter Broadcast Group relies on Nielsen to provide the marketplace with accurate audience measurement and sampling while pursuing other advancements in revenue generation for the radio industry. We look forward to continuing our long-standing, mutually beneficial relationship with the Nielsen team.” 

“Nielsen takes our responsibility to diversity, equity and inclusion very seriously. We incorporate these foundational priorities into our panels, audience estimates, and our business practices,” said Brad Kelly, Managing Director of Nielsen Audio. We appreciate the trust the Carter Family continues to place in Nielsen to deliver representative, impartial radio audience estimates that reflect the diversity of the Kansas City marketplace. Radio has a unique and powerful connection with African American consumers. With Nielsen Audio in its toolkit, Carter Broadcast Group is well-equipped to showcase its impressive value to the advertising community.”