CBS Radio has agreed to encode the signals of its Houston radio stations in order to test the new "smart cell phone" ratings technology from The Media Audit and Ipsos. The phone is being positioned as a competitor to Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM), with the ability to record and measure radio listenership. Earlier in the week, Radio One and Cox Radio agreed to participate in the same research testing in Houston.

"We see the move to electronic media measurement as a partnership between radio, advertising agencies and The Media Audit and its partner Ipsos," said Media Audit President Bob Jordan. "This spirit of partnership is evidenced with the cooperation of industry leaders like [CBS Radio President] Joel [Hollander] and his team. There is an interest on the part of some advertisers and agencies to move to electronic measurement as quickly as possible. We hear them and with the kind of cooperation we have been getting this week, we can move quickly. Our uncompromising mission is to do it right and to do it right every step of the way."

Hollander commented, "We are impressed with how quickly The Media Audit/Ipsos team is hitting its milestones in bringing the radio industry an alternative electronic ratings service. The Media Audit/Ipsos formally applied to the evaluation committee in December and is now preparing for a market test three months later. That's impressive. Clearly they have a plan and they know what they are doing."