TransitTV Los Angeles - Arbitron Study (Jul 2006)

Arbitron Custom Research Report
Moving Entertainment: Arbitron

Evaluation of Transit TV Network
Los Angeles County MTA Buses Case Study
Presented by:
Diane Williams
Product Manager
Custom Research
Arbitron Inc.
142 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019-3300
(212) 887-1461
diane.williams@arbitron.com
06-CUS-133_Transit_Cov.indd 3 10/3/06 1:54:04 PM

Moving Entertainment: Arbitron Evaluation of Transit TV Network 1
Introduction
Welcome to Arbitron’s Evaluation of Transit Television Network (Transit TV). The goal of this
report is to define the audience for Transit TV’s video displays on Los Angeles County
Metropolitan Transit Authority (LACMTA) buses and determine the riders’ level of engagement
with the network’s advertising and content.
Over the past several years, Arbitron has been working closely with place-based (out-of-home)
video display networks in order to help advertisers appraise their value proposition as media
vehicles. On the whole, the public’s reaction to place-based TV networks has been exceedingly
positive. Consumers seem to particularly welcome video news and entertainment programming in
areas where they need to wait, such as store checkout lines, mall food courts or while riding mass
transportation.
Since 2002, Arbitron has provided Transit TV with detailed Scarborough data on mass transit
riders. Transit TV provides video entertainment to close to a million unique mass transit riders
daily through video monitors installed on public buses and trains throughout the United States.
Over the last few years, Transit TV has significantly expanded its footprint and in June of 2006
completed the installation of its largest market to date: Los Angeles. The Los Angeles County
Metropolitan bus system is one of the largest in the United States, second only to that of New
York City. It has 2,300 buses in operation at any one time and has 1.2 million boardings (fares)
per weekday.
In July of 2006, Arbitron Research began working with Transit TV on a two-part case study to
help advertisers understand what to expect from a Transit TV campaign.
How the Study Was Conducted

The data used to support the findings in this report were derived from two separate surveys:
Los Angeles County MTA Bus Ridership Survey
Arbitron surveyed a total of 1,615 people age 14 and older on randomly selected MTA buses in
Los Angeles from June 13 through June 20, 2006. The interviews were conducted on-board 25
different buses across the LACMTA’s five regions, including Gateway Cities, San Fernando
Valley, San Gabriel Valley, South Bay and Westside/Central. Riders were offered an incentive of
$2 to provide basic demographic information, including sex, age, employment status, ethnicity,
languages spoken and their estimated time spent on LACMTA buses that day. Respondents were
given the option of taking the survey in English or Spanish.
Transit Television Network Advertising Effectiveness Survey
Arbitron surveyed an additional 350 riders at randomly selected bus stops across the same five
LACMTA regions from July 27 through August 1, 2006. These respondents were offered a $5
incentive to participate in a longer on-site survey to gauge their awareness and engagement with
the Transit Television Network displays. Respondents were given the option of taking the survey
in English or Spanish.
CONFIDENTIAL – This report is property of Transit Television Network. The data contained within may not be reproduced without express
written permission.
 2006 Arbitron Inc

About Transit TV1

Transit TV generates 11 million weekly impressions through its network of 8,750 television
screens on nearly 4,000 transit vehicles across Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Orlando and
Milwaukee. Transit TV is the largest digital video network specifically targeting transit riders
across North America. Transit TV enhances riders’ journeys, provides Transit agencies with an
additional revenue source and enables advertisers to reach a previously untapped, young, vibrant
audience.
Transit TV is a wholly owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation, Toronto, Canada. Torstar

Corporation is a broadly based media company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TS.B).
How Transit TV Is Bought and Sold1

Transit TV plays traditional television commercial creative. Commercials are full-motion video
and audio, typically 30 seconds in length, but 15s and 60s are accepted.
A typical Transit TV sales unit consists of eight 30-second commercials played with a one-hour
separation across an eight-hour daypart. There are two eight-hour dayparts: 6AM to 2PM and
2PM to 10PM.
Transit TV's rate card pricing falls into the $2.00 to $5.00 cost per thousand (CPM) range.
Measurement1
Transit TV receives data on the number of people exposed to its medium directly from the transit
authorities. The data show average weekday and weekend passenger boardings, and in most cases
are updated monthly. Data are collected either through people-counters installed at the entrances
and exits of the vehicles or from receipts at the farebox. The LACMTA publishes its boardings
data on its Web site at http://www.metro.net/news_info/ridership_avg.htm.
1
The information in this section is provided by Transit Television Network.

Significant Highlights
Transit TV Audience Composition
The audience composition of Los Angeles County MTA bus riders and potential Transit
Television Network viewers is a nearly even split of 48% men and 52% women. Ten percent of
the total audience are teens (age 14-17). Transit TV also delivers a high concentration of young
adults: 34% of the Los Angeles Metro population are between the ages of 18 and 34, but close to
half (48%) of LACMTA bus riders fall within this prime demographic.
More than half (52%) of L.A. bus riders are of

Hispanic or Latino descent. Twenty-one percent
are African American, 20% are white and 7%
are Asian American. Eighty-six percent of L.A.
bus riders speak English, 50% speak Spanish
and 35% are English-Spanish bilingual.
Sixty-seven percent of riders are employed

either full time (42%) or part time (25%).
Twenty-nine percent are students. Over half
(51%) of the students are college undergrad age
(18-24), 33% are teenagers and 11% are
between 24 and 34 years old.
Half (50%) of riders age 18 or older have at least one child under the age of 12 living in the
household, and close to half (47%) of these riders say these young children regularly ride
LACMTA buses.
Transit TV Exposure Patterns

On average, riders expected to spend 1 hour 34 minutes (total)
on L.A. buses that day. Teens spend the least amount of time on
the buses, at 1 hour 8 minutes, and adults 45-54 spend the most,
at 2 hours 11 minutes. Forty-two percent of riders take a Los
Angeles County MTA bus three times or less per week, so a full
week’s advertising schedule is necessary to maximize a
campaign’s reach.
A vast majority (88%) of L.A. bus riders noticed Transit TV

displays during the past week, and 79% noticed the screens on the bus they just exited.

Transit TV Advertising Effectiveness

Eighty percent of Transit TV viewers could recall one or more of the commercials aired that
week on an aided basis.
Six advertisers were tested in all. Recall for brands with an established market presence, such as a
major national money transfer company (50%) or an L.A. civil service recruitment campaign
(55%), were strong.
Arbitron also tested Transit TV’s effectiveness in launching new products and services. For this
purpose, Arbitron examined viewer awareness of two campaigns. The first was for the straight-to-
DVD premiere of a new feature film. Advertising for this DVD ran only on Transit TV in Los
Angeles during the test period, and yet one in five Transit TV viewers could recall seeing an ad
for this new release.
To further test Transit TV’s ability to launch a new

brand, Transit TV’s creative design team “invented” a
new service called Transit Date. The commercial for
the fictitious dating service promising a love match for
L.A. commuters appeared only on Transit TV during
our test period. Yet, over half (57%) of Transit TV
viewers could specifically remember seeing an ad for
the service.
Transit TV Acceptance and Engagement

Los Angeles County MTA bus riders have a positive
attitude toward Transit TV. Three-quarters (74%) of
Transit TV viewers agree that Transit TV makes
their commute more enjoyable. Seventy-one percent
find Transit TV programming to be entertaining.
Over half (58%) agree Transit TV is one of their

primary sources for news and weather information.
Transit TV actually makes most riders (64%) feel
their commute is going faster.
These findings demonstrate a high level of

engagement with Transit TV among Los Angeles
County MTA bus riders and single out Transit TV as an effective medium for both reinforcing a
brand message among this focused demographic and for launching new products and services.

Summary of Key Findings

Transit Television Network Audience Composition
More than half of L.A. metro bus riders are below the age of 34. Los Angeles residents who
are exposed to Transit TV programming are divided almost evenly between men and women, but
more than half (58%) are age 34 or younger.
Transit TV Delivers Younger Viewers
Men
25-34
48%
24%
18-24
24%
Women
52%
14-17 35-44
10% 18%
65+
5%
45-54
55-64 11%
8%
© 2006 Arbitron Inc.

Base: Los Angeles County MTA Bus Riders
The vast majority of Los Angeles County bus riders speak English. Eighty-six percent of
LACMTA bus commuters speak English as a first or second language. Spanish is the second
most commonly spoken language, and persons of Hispanic/Latino origin or descent account for
over half (52%) of riders.
One Out of Two L.A. Metro Bus The Predominate Language Spoken
Riders Are Hispanic or Latino Among L.A. Bus Riders Is English
“Which best describes you?” “Which of the following languages do you speak? ”
Asian
American
7% 100%
86%
White 80%
20%
60% 50%
Hispanic or
Latino 40% 35%
52%
20%
5%
Black/African
0%
American English Spanish Both English Other
and Spanish
21%

Base: Los Angeles County MTA Bus Riders Base: Los Angeles County MTA Bus Riders

Los Angeles County MTA Bus Ridership Patterns

Over half of L.A. bus commuters spend more than one hour on an MTA bus per day. Fifty-
nine percent of bus riders spend over one hour on the bus each day. The average length of time
spent on the bus and in close proximity to the Transit TV displays is 1 hour 34 minutes per day.
L.A. Metro Bus Riders Are Exposed to

Transit TV for More Than One Hour per Day
“Approximately how much total time will you spend riding a Metro or
MTA bus today?”
1 Hr - 1.5 Hrs
24%
Average Time Spent
30 Mins - 1 Hr 1 Hour 34 Minutes
28%
<30 Mins 1.5+ Hrs

13% 35%

Most Los Angeles County MTA bus riders use the metropolitan transit system multiple
times per week. L.A. Metro bus travelers ride four days a week on average. Half of riders (51%)
exclusively travel on the bus during the regular workweek, and an additional 39% also typically
ride on the weekend.
Transit TV Reaches Most L.A. Metro Bus

Weekly Ridership Frequency Riders Both Weekdays and Weekends
“In the past week, how many days did you ride a Metro or MTA bus?” “Do you typically ride a Metro or MTA bus…?”
4-5 Days 60%

2-3 Days 51%
32%
26%
39%
40%
20%
9%
0%
1 Day Mostly During Both Weekdays Mostly on the
16%
the Week and Weekends Weekends
6-7 Days
26%
Base: Los Angeles County MTA Bus Riders © 2006 Arbitron Inc.

On average, L.A. bus riders board two buses per day. Whether through round trips or bus line
connections, 78% of L.A. bus travelers board two or more different buses per day.
A Majority of L.A. Metro Bus Riders

Board Two or More Buses per Day
“Including this trip, how many different Metro or MTA buses will you
board today?”
50%
43%
40%
30%
22%
20% 17%
13%
10% 5%
0%
1 Bus 2 Buses 3 Buses 4 Buses 5+ Buses

Transit TV Viewership
A vast majority of L.A. bus riders notice the Transit TV screens and watch the
programming. Eighty-eight percent of Los Angeles bus commuters noticed the Transit TV
displays in the past week, and 79% notice the screens on a day’s trip. Most travelers (73%) say
they actively watch the programming during their commute.
Transit TV Screens Are Highly

Visible to L.A. Metro Bus Riders
“During the past week, have you noticed television screens on
any Metro or MTA buses?”
100%
88%
75%
50%
25%
12%
0%
Yes No


Transit TV Advertising Effectiveness

Eight out of ten Transit TV viewers could recall one or more commercials aired that week.
Eighty percent of those who watched Transit TV could remember at least one specific advertiser
on an aided basis. The average number of ads recalled by Transit TV viewers was three.
Over 80% of Transit TV Viewers

Recalled at Least One Ad
“Still thinking about any Metro or MTA bus rides you have taken during
the past week, do you recall seeing or hearing an advertisement on
Transit TV for...?”
25%
19% 20% 20%

20%
15% 14%
10% 10%
10%
7%
5%
0%
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Number of Transit TV Network Ads Recalled on an Aided Basis

Base: Los Angeles County MTA Bus Riders Who Have Watched Transit TV
More than half of Transit TV viewers remembered seeing the commercials for Transit Date
and L.A. civil service recruitment. Fifty-seven percent of Transit TV viewers recalled seeing
the ad for the fictitious dating service Transit Date, and 55% of those watching the screens
remembered the Los Angeles civil service recruitment ad. Fifty percent of viewers also recalled
seeing an ad for a major national money transfer service that week.
“Still thinking about any Metro or MTA bus rides you have taken during the past week, do you
recall seeing or hearing an advertisement on Transit TV for...?”
(Percent saying “yes”)
1
Transit Date 57%
L.A. civil service recruitment 55%

2
National money transfer service 50%
Ringtone of popular Latino song 39%
Internet service provider 38%
DVD release 21%

1
Transit Date was an original commercial for a nonexistent service developed exclusively to test advertising effectiveness for the
Transit Television Network.
2
The commercial for the national money transfer service aired only on weekdays.

Transit TV Acceptance and Engagement

Los Angeles Metro bus riders have a predominately positive attitude toward Transit TV.
Three-quarters (74%) of those who have watched Transit TV say the network makes their
commute more enjoyable and 71% find the programming entertaining. Over half (58%) of
viewers consider Transit TV one of their primary sources for news and weather information.
“Do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements?”

Transit TV makes your trip more enjoyable. 74%
Transit TV is entertaining. 71%
Transit TV is one of your primary sources for news and weather information. 58%
Transit TV makes your trip seem to go faster. 64%
You spend more time watching Transit TV than TV at home. 27%

Appendix: Audience Composition

Los Angeles County MTA Bus Ridership Demographic Composition
Source: Arbitron Los Angeles County MTA Bus Ridership Survey
Sex Ethnicity
Men 48% White 20%
Women 52% Hispanic/Latino 52%
Asian American 7%
Age Group Black/African American 21%

14-17 10%
18-24 24% Employment Status
25-34 25% Employed Full/Part Time 67%
35-44 18% Student 29%
45-54 11% Temporarily Unemployed 8%

55-64 8% Retired 7%
65-74 4% Other 6%
75+ 1%
Languages Spoken
English 86%
Spanish 50%
Bilingual (English-
35%
Spanish)
Other 5%

About Arbitron Inc.

Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) is an international media and marketing research firm serving radio
broadcasters, cable companies, advertisers, advertising agencies and outdoor advertising
companies in the United States, Mexico and Europe. Arbitron’s core businesses are measuring
network and local market radio audiences across the United States; surveying the retail, media
and product patterns of local market consumers; and providing application software used for
analyzing media audience and marketing information data. The Company is developing the
Portable People Meter (PPMSM), a new technology for radio, broadcast television and cable
ratings.
Arbitron’s marketing and business units are supported by a world-renowned research and
technology organization located in Columbia, Maryland. Arbitron has approximately 1,700
employees; its executive offices are located in New York City. Through its Scarborough Research
joint venture with VNU, Inc., Arbitron also provides media and marketing research services to
the broadcast television, magazine, newspaper, outdoor and online industries.
Arbitron’s Out-of-Home division provides training, consumer shopping data and audience
profiles for out-of-home and outdoor media. Currently, more than 100 outdoor plants, place-
based media and thousands of agencies and advertisers utilize Arbitron Out-of-Home consumer
shopping data and software. The company is currently working with the industry to develop an
outdoor audience ratings service.
Credible third-party measurement helps advertisers justify their investment in the medium. The
company’s 50+ years of audience measurement experience help sellers focus on selling the value
of their advertising rather than justifying the credibility of their measurement. Arbitron research
studies about cinema advertising, the outdoor industry and traditional and nontraditional media
can be found on the company’s Web site at www.arbitron.com and can be downloaded free of
charge.

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www.arbitron.com
Photos courtesy of Transit TV
© 2006 Arbitron Inc. 06-CUS-133 10/06
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TransitTV Los Angeles - Arbitron Study (Jul 2006)

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Arbitron Custom Research Report

Moving Entertainment: Arbitron

06-CUS-133_Transit_Cov.indd 3 10/3/06 1:54:04 PM

How the Study Was Conducted

 2006 Arbitron Inc

About Transit TV1

Transit TV is a wholly owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation, Toronto, Canada. Torstar

How Transit TV Is Bought and Sold1

 2006 Arbitron Inc

More than half (52%) of L.A. bus riders are of

Sixty-seven percent of riders are employed

Transit TV Exposure Patterns

A vast majority (88%) of L.A. bus riders noticed Transit TV

 2006 Arbitron Inc

Transit TV Advertising Effectiveness

To further test Transit TV’s ability to launch a new

Transit TV Acceptance and Engagement

Over half (58%) agree Transit TV is one of their

These findings demonstrate a high level of

 2006 Arbitron Inc

Summary of Key Findings

Transit TV Delivers Younger Viewers

© 2006 Arbitron Inc.

© 2006 Arbitron Inc.

 2006 Arbitron Inc

Los Angeles County MTA Bus Ridership Patterns

L.A. Metro Bus Riders Are Exposed to

<30 Mins 1.5+ Hrs

© 2006 Arbitron Inc.

Transit TV Reaches Most L.A. Metro Bus

4-5 Days 60%

 2006 Arbitron Inc

A Majority of L.A. Metro Bus Riders

© 2006 Arbitron Inc.

Transit TV Screens Are Highly

© 2006 Arbitron Inc.

 2006 Arbitron Inc

Transit TV Advertising Effectiveness

Over 80% of Transit TV Viewers

19% 20% 20%

© 2006 Arbitron Inc.

L.A. civil service recruitment 55%

Ringtone of popular Latino song 39%

Internet service provider 38%

DVD release 21%

 2006 Arbitron Inc

Transit TV Acceptance and Engagement

“Do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements?”

Transit TV makes your trip more enjoyable. 74%

Transit TV is entertaining. 71%

Transit TV makes your trip seem to go faster. 64%

You spend more time watching Transit TV than TV at home. 27%

 2006 Arbitron Inc

Appendix: Audience Composition

Women 52% Hispanic/Latino 52%

Age Group Black/African American 21%

35-44 18% Student 29%

45-54 11% Temporarily Unemployed 8%

 2006 Arbitron Inc

About Arbitron Inc.

 2006 Arbitron Inc

Photos courtesy of Transit TV

© 2006 Arbitron Inc. 06-CUS-133 10/06

06-CUS-133_Transit_Cov.indd 2 10/3/06 1:54:02 PM