TECHNOLOGY - Nov. 4, 1991

Arbitron Joins National TV Ratings Market: Arbitron Co. is today launching the first phase of a new service to track what particular television programs people watch and what products those viewers buy. Arbitron said it hopes it will be competitive with national ratings compiled by longtime king of the industry, A. C. Nielsen Co. Nielsen has operated without serious competition in the national ratings arena for about four decades. Britain’s AGB Research failed to mount a competitive service a few years ago. Arbitron, a Control Data Co. subsidiary that has long measured television and radio audiences in local markets, has been examining the feasibility of launching a national service for nearly a decade.