Nielsen Offers Direct Access to Ratings

For the first time, Nielsen Media Research is to provide direct access to its database of minute-by-minute TV ratings. Clients will be able to access and analyse full information from Nielsen's National People Meter sample via an electronic file, to be updated each week.

The move is designed to help media, advertising and agency clients who - faced with fragmented TV audiences, hundreds of channels and the threat of the digital video recorder - need more detailed viewing data.

The new minute-by-minute viewing data will identify commercial minutes, to allow for a better understanding of what viewers are watching. Clients will be able to conduct extra analysis by downloading the information to their own software systems.

The data includes information from both the general market National People Meter sample and the Hispanic People Meter sample. It will be available to around 70 authorised third-party data processors as well as to Nielsen's subscribing clients.

Susan Whiting, President and CEO of Nielsen Media Research, says the company's goal is 'to offer our clients greater choice in the research tools they can use to buy, sell, evaluate, promote and analyze commercial television in the United States'.

Bob Liodice, President and CEO of the Association of National Advertisers voiced his support for the move, saying: 'this push to gain granular visibility and understanding of commercial vs program ratings is critical for the accuracy of media measurement in the US…Nielsen has taken a significant step in the right direction'.

The company is online at www.nielsenmedia.com.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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