Orlando Radio: WPOZ UnPlugs PPM Encoding Signal

A non-commercial Orlando station has stopped encoding its signal for Nielsen’s PPM ratings service, citing audio quality issues related to the measurement provider’s enhanced Critical Band Encoding Technology (CBET).

Central Florida Educational Foundation contemporary Christian WPOZ 99.3 FM Z88 chose not to renew its ratings contract, which expired Dec. 31, 2015. A few days later it stopped encoding, according to president & CEO Jim Hoge.

Hoge traces the scenario back to last year, when WPOZ added Voltair to its audio chain and before Nielsen introduced CBET. “We bought one and stuck it in the rack, cranked it up and sure enough the numbers went back up, but one’s ears just bled,” Hoge told InsideRadio, referring to what he perceived as deterioration in the station’s audio quality from the processor.

Last year, Nielsen went so far as to claim Voltair introduces “audible artifacts” that disrupt the listening experience. It also cautioned against stations running the Voltair audio processor in tandem with its enhanced CBET, claiming the combination was likely to cause audio distortion.

But after Nielsen updated its encoding software last fall with the enhanced CBET, Hoge said “the audio damage became unavoidable,” since upgrading to the new encoding system was mandatory. “We realized that we can live without ratings, but we can’t live without listeners,” Hoge said. “When the contract came up for renewal, it was an easy decision to let it lapse and stopped encoding….We now sound like a breath of fresh air on both FM and HD.”

WPOZ 88.3 FM (100 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

Long a strong ratings performer in the market, WPOZ posted a 5.0 in Nielsen's November survey among listeners aged 6+, followed by a 5.6 in December and a 6.8 in the Holiday book. But without encoding, the station has been a ratings no-show since January.