Boston & Beyond

TVBAdrienne Lotoski

WCVB-TVOctober 25, 2000

Nielsen’s Local People Meter Initiative

Local People Meter Initiative

• Transformation in Local TV Measurement

• Boston DMA = Demonstration Market

• Implications for the Industry

Audience Measurement Systems

Valid Accurate

Precise

Free From BiasReasonable

Large Measure of

User Confidence

* Requirements *

William Benz, ARF Workshop 7/13/88

Reliable

Industry Implications

Different Form

of Local Audience

Measurement

Impact on Local

Advertising $$$

Timeline

NSI Station

Meetings

Boston DMA LPM Official Announcement

NSI Boston Client

Meetings

White Paper

Release

11/99 12/99 1/00 3/00 4/00

NABTVBARF

Meetings

6 Month Delay

TimelineNSI Client Breakfasts

BTRC:ARBPPM

January 2001 Data Release300 Homes

BTRC Educational

Series: MRC BTRC:

Overview

4/00,5/00 &8/00

5/00 6/00 9/007/00

BTRC:Methodology

TimelineNSI

Client Breakfast

60 LPM Homes

Installed

BTRC:Products

300 LPMHomes

InstalledWhite Paper

Discussion

11/0010/00 1-3/01 4/01

DemonstrationPeriod Begins

The Transformation• Boston DMA poised for Nielsen

LPM demonstration period

The Boston DMA• 6th Ranked DMA• Area Probability Methodology• Market Characteristics:

–High cable penetration –Low ethnic–High SPI

• NPM Cutback

Industry ImplicationsLocal Broadcasters

TV Rep Firms

Advertisers

3rd Party Processors

Advertising Agencies

Networks

Cable Outlets

Syndicators

TV Station ImplicationsResearch Director

Sales

Programming News

General Manager

Promotions

Public Relations

The Initiative“The local people meter initiative integrates two very different methodologies requiring Nielsen to synthesize the issues of data collection, editing, and reporting from different communities.”

Point of View: Local People Meter Initiative, 3/15/00

Local/National DifferencesLocal National

Crediting Average QTRHour

Average Minute

Week Thursday-Wednesday

Monday-Sunday

Focus Sweep September-May

Weighting Yes Yes - 2001

Program Titling LocalBroadcasters

Network

Education Process

Meter Faults

Sample Turnover

Bridging & Editing Rules

National People Meter

Service

Systematic Data Differences

ScheduleDate Phase Sample Size

April 2000 Sample Design &Selection

-

September 2000 Recruitment/Installation

110 NPM

January 2001 Limited DataRelease

300(NPM + 190)

April/May 2001 VIPs / TV HHOvernights

420

July 2001 VIPs / TV HH &Demo OvernightsOverOvernights

600

October 2001-April 2002

Local PM ServiceOfficial

600

Broadcast Topics• Demonstration Period Duration

– Undefined: 6 to 12 months– Timing: Spring/Summer 2001 – Budgets– Data Analysis– National Advertisers/Agencies Input – Software

• Implementation

Data Reporting• Nielsen Reports: VIP Format• Sweep Calendar• Local Product Line

–Changes in Current–Additional Products

Data Reporting• Third-Party Processors• Use of Demonstration Data• Data/Tape Delays

–VIPS: 10 days–Overnights: 4 days

Closing Thoughts• Industry Implications• Boston as Template for Future

Local People Meter Markets• Educating Local Broadcasters• Transformation to New Form of

Local TV Measurement