Arbitron deal with Clear Channel worth $69 million

COLUMBIA, Md. — Arbitron Inc. said Tuesday it has entered into three-year agreements to measure listener ratings for Clear Channel Communications Inc., the nation’s largest owner of radio stations, and affiliated companies in 105 markets.

In a series of three-year agreements that end on Dec. 31, 2011, Arbitron will measure ratings based on diaries kept by its audience pool and provide other services to Clear Channel and subsidiaries of its parent, CC Media Holdings Inc.

The deals are worth $69 million, based on the number of Clear Channel radio stations. Clear Channel also owns Premiere Radio Networks, which has syndicated shows featuring celebrities such as Ryan Seacrest, and Katz Media Group.

On Monday, Clear Channel said it has only partially renewed its diary-based radio ratings agreement with Arbitron. The company also is working with The Nielsen Co., which is known for measuring TV ratings but entered the radio ratings business in November.

Before Nielsen came into the picture, Arbitron had been the only provider of radio ratings service for years.

Clear Channel said it will “neither use nor pay for” Arbitron ratings in about 24 markets — 17 of which will be measured by Nielsen, while the rest won’t get ratings.

Shares of Columbia, Md.-based Arbitron, a media and marketing research firm, fell 51 cents, or 2.4 percent, to $20.39 in afternoon trading.