Arbitron Measures Podcasts

Chuck Zimmerman

ArbitronJust yesterday I posed the question “I wonder when Arbitron will begin ratings for podcasts?” Guess what they announced today?

Arbitron Portable People Meter System Successfully Tracks Podcasts; State-of-the-Art Audience Measurement System Demonstrates It Can Track Listeners of Alternative Radio Technology

With podcasting making headlines as one of the latest technologies being embraced by terrestrial radio broadcasters, Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) has demonstrated that its Portable People Meter (PPM(SM)) system has the ability to track audiences who listen to this new method of radio programming. During the week of July 18, Arbitron encoded several podcasts by Clear Channel’s WHTZ-FM (Z100) in New York, that were uploaded to the podcast portion of Apple’s iTunes Music Store. The Z100 podcasts were then downloaded to an MP3 player and played over headsets using the PPM headset adapter. The PPM detected and recorded the unique identification codes that were embedded in the MP3 file.

Granted this is just a test of one station that’s podcasting and granted that podcasting of “big media” isn’t really where I think podcasting will be most successful but it’s a start and shows that even the big boys like Clear Channel consider it serious! Thanks to Steve Rubel for the alert!

Heads up folks. You and I can do it ourselves. In fact we are doing it. Want us to help you do it?

Media, Podcasts

New D&PL Website

Chuck Zimmerman

D&PL WebsiteD&PL have announced a new website design. The work was done by Brighton Agency in St. Louis. It would be tempting to critique it here and I’m wondering if you’d like me to offer critques. Let me know by way of feedback.

I will offer one quick idea. From the media’s perspective it would be nice if there was a way for me to subscribe to future information like news releases. There’s a location for news releases but I can’t subscribe to them. I would suggest setting up an RSS feed of them that I can subscribe to instead of email. As it’s set up now I would have to send an email to a contact from the “Contact Us” section to get on a mailing list. Although you see a lot of RSS feeds set up on news sites like the Washington Post, anyone can do it and integrate it into their web strategy.

I like the neat little weather tool that’s on the site. You enter your zipcode once and any time you log on you get your local weather on the page! I don’t farm but I’m a weather fanatic, just ask Cindy. You know how important weather is to farmers. Great idea.

New D&PL Web Site sets Standard for Technology, Service – Company site designed to meet needs of producers, distributors and retailers

Expanded services, improved sales and technical support, and more variety information are just a few of the improvements to the newly designed Delta and Pine Land Company website: www.deltaandpine.com. Working with its marketing partner, Brighton Agency in St. Louis, D&PL gave its Web site a total re-build. The new site went live August 10.

For more information contact Leigh Korb, 1-800-490-2686.

Agencies, Agribusiness, Internet

Mandated Ethanol Discussed On CornTalk

Chuck Zimmerman

CornTalk PodcastIt’s CornTalk time and this week Cindy interviews Missouri Corn Growers Associaton CEO Gary Marshall about Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt’s commitment to getting legislation passed next session that would call for all gasoline sold in the state to be blended with ethanol. Missouri wouldn’t be the first state to pass this legislation and many feel it’s time!

You can listen to CornTalk here Download MP3 File

CornTalk is a weekly AgWired podcast which you can subscribe to using the file in our sidebar.

Ag Groups, Audio, Corn, Podcasts

Progress Cam Shows The Farm Progress

Chuck Zimmerman

Farm Progress Show Aug. 23, 2005You may have seen this before but I still think it’s cool. Maybe AgWired should get a webcam too. I’m just not sure you want to see our work in progress.

Speaking of progress, you can see from the picture, which updates constantly, how things are developing at the the Farm Progress Show. Here’s the link to the Progress Cam. AgWired is planning on getting a little help in covering the dialy activities of the show this year since we’ll be in Switzerland! But never fear, we’ll have some info for you.

I’m sure there are other farm or show cams out there. Point them out to us if you know of them.

Farm Progress Show

Satellite & Internet Ratings Coming This Fall

Chuck Zimmerman

According to a post on MediaBuyerPlanner, Arbitron will be reporting satellite radio listening (Sirius and XM) beginning this fall. Next spring they’ll also begin to add a radio station’s internet feed audience to the station’s audience totals. This report comes from Mediaweek.

I like the way the story says that this is because “more consumers are turning to alternative distribution platforms for their radio listening.” I’d substitute satellite, internet and podcasting for “alternative distribution platforms!”

I wonder when Arbitron will begin reporting podcasting ratings? If you think podcasting is as silly a sounding thing as blogging then why do we have more and more events like the Duke University Podcasting Symposium?

Media, Podcasts

U. S. Peanuts Rock The Competition

Chuck Zimmerman

Agricultural ResearchAgricultural Research is published by USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. In this month’s issue the results are in for a peanut taste test and the United States wins! The competition was China and Argentina. Let me hear you, “We will, we will, rock you!”

Okay. So why’s this here? Because . . . Timothy Sanders conducted this project to use the results as a “marketing tool for U.S. peanut exporters.” The project was simply titled “European Peanut Consumer Research Study” which could also be called the EPCRS.

A consumer panel of 300 European peanut consumers was used. See the report for the full criteria on how they conducted the study. The findings are being used by peanut exporters and Sanders presented them personally at SNACKEX, the largest European snack and peanut food show. Do we have a snack show here in the U-S? That sounds like one to have to blog through!

After 2 days of taste testing the results were clear. “The data showed that there would be virtually no likelihood of consumer complaints about the flavor of U.S. peanuts,” said Sanders. But European consumers would likely identify about 70 percent of Chinese lots and 40 percent of Argentine lots as problematic, the data showed.

I think I’ll go get a Snickers bar.

USDA

Running Horses Best of The Bunch

Chuck Zimmerman

2005 Overall WinnerThe overall winner in the Livestock Publications Council, Best of the Bunch photo contest was Kelly Toledo, Trailhead Designs, with this picture – “Running Horses.” I think you’ll be able to find all of the winners on their website soon. This was in the August issue of their “Actiongram.” You’ve got to be a member to get it but I just wanted to share a good photo!

LPC

NCGA Says “Embrace Computers & Internet”

Chuck Zimmerman

National Corn Growers AssociationLet’s see who’s paying attention at NCGA. This is an interesting story they put out today. It quotes the recent National Ag Statistics Service study on Farmer Computer Ownership and Usage. I’m telling you, we need to embrace the computer and make it our tool. That’s what the biggest farmers are doing. Read on . . .

NCGA Urges Farmers to Adopt Use of Computers in Operations

Release of data by the National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) indicating that 51 percent of farmers now have Internet access points out how important computers and technology are to a farming operations, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) notes.

Computer technology allows farmers to keep financial records on disks instead of several stacks of paper; the Internet allows farmers to search for farming topics or participate in online farming discussions; and sophisticated technologies such as global positioning satellites (GPS) let farmers have autosteering tractors that can save time on planting.

“Technology is definitely moving forward,” said Darren Ihnen, a South Dakota corn grower who has been using computers in the field and in his office since 1990. “The Internet, in particular, has been a tremendous tool for farmers. The flow of information is key to maintaining an efficient and profitable business.”

“As an organization, we need to look toward the future and embrace technology,” said Leon Corzine, NCGA president and an Illinois grower. “A computer and the Internet are tools you absolutely need to use in today’s global society.”

Amen, brother Leon!

Ag Groups

Russian Cows Eat Pot Rather Than Starve

Chuck Zimmerman

Stoned CowStoned cows. That’s what this story is about. Actually Cindy alerted me to the full story which you need to read, including the comments. It’s on Muley’s World. The picture was one of the best parts and it’s not the only one you’ll find.

This is what I love about the blogosphere. There’s just a lot of good stories floating around. Cindy found this one on Catholic Pillow Fight.

I just wonder what a barbeque of steaks from these cows would be like.

Uncategorized

Over 5,000 Convenience Stores In Shanghai

Chuck Zimmerman

Chinese Chain Store & Franchise AssociationI always thought the corner convenience store was really just an American thing but after travelling in other countries you realize that’s not the case. I just came across a story on China Daily about the huge growth in convenience stores in Shanghai. According to the story there are now over 5,000 of them! That’s since they got started about 10 years ago.

The story quotes a representative of the China Chain Store & Franchise Association saying that the stores have become a part of everyday life in Shanghai. According to the story over 5o percent claimed to be have a profit last year

Agribusiness