Spanish Broadcasting cuts PPM encoders ...

From Tom Taylor:

Arbitron sues Spanish Broadcasting, after it pulls its encoders for PPM.

Brinksmanship on both sides – Arbitron is publicly calling out and suing a major-market client for breach of contract. While SBS has quit encoding and participating in the People Meter ratings in New York, L.A., Chicago, San Francisco and Miami. It may be thinking of rival Univision, which also isn’t encoding in some (not all) of its markets. But there’s also a rumor that SBS quit paying Arbitron.

One of the few things Arbitron said last night about the suit is that it “suspended delivery of PPM data to SBS in December 2009.” That would go along with the speculation about non-payment. Arbitron Chief Legal Officer Timothy Smith says “SBS has existing contracts for both the PPM service and to encode its broadcast signals, that remain in effect...We expect SBS to honor the terms of its agreements."

Yesterday Arbitron won a Temporary Restraining Order from the New York State Supreme Court to order the resumption of encoding on nine signals in five markets. There’s a court hearing on Tuesday to “determine whether to compel SBS to encode.” The ratings service says it learned on February 4 that SBS had pulled its encoders. Why did SBS hit the “off” button? It’s a mystery.

We all know why SBS cut the cord.  It's just that nobody wants to say it out loud.
 
They don't trust their listeners.
 
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