* Illustration: Christopher Sleboda * Ever wonder why those twits Opie and Anthony get to be radio stars? Blame Arbitron (and perhaps, yourself). Since the 1960s, the survey-research company has paid listeners to keep a handwritten log of every station they tune in to. Arbitron crunches the numbers, releases the ratings, and — presto! — doofus shock jocks stay on the air.
Now, with the introduction of its Portable People Meter, the company is on the verge of a radical leap into the present. The BlackBerry-sized gadget clips to listeners' clothing, eliminating the log. Participating broadcasts are encoded with an inaudible ID code, which is picked up by a sensor in the device — whether you're bopping to Kylie Minogue in your car or swaying to Air Supply in the produce aisle. "Your only job is to carry it," says Arbitron's Thom Mocarsky. "And we know when you do."
After five years of testing, the system was rolled out in New York and Houston this summer. It'll go nationwide by 2010. Eventually Arbitron will have 70,000 deployed, all but banishing survey bias from the ratings. All this is good news for Aerosmith fans. Rock stations have been losing ground to hip hop, Spanish, and talk, but they score high on the People Meter. Unfortunately, that also means Opie and Anthony, whose main outlet is New York's K-Rock, may be with us a little longer.
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