January Launch for Student Audience System

Nielsen Media Research has announced a start date - January 29, 2007 – for the inclusion of students at college in National People Meter (NPM) audience estimates. The system, known as 'Extended Home viewing', is part of the firm's drive to 'measure television viewing wherever it occurs.'

The move marks the first time NMR will include in the ratings viewing by members of sample households living outside the home. Many higher education students live away from home for the majority of the time their families are part of Nielsen's NPM sample and yet have always been considered members of that sample.

Viewing by sample students in their dorm rooms or off-campus apartments will be treated as if it were coming from an additional set within their families' sample homes. Institutions included will be traditional colleges and universities as well as trade schools, culinary institutes and other higher educational facilities.

According to Sara Erichson, General Manager, National Services, including college students in the National Sample will add to the accuracy of the ratings: 'This Extended Home measurement, together with the Anywhere Anytime Media Measurement (A2/M2) initiatives we announced earlier this year, demonstrates our ongoing commitment to measure television viewing wherever it occurs.'

Key clients have backed the introduction. 'We want full measurement of everyone who is watching television and this is a significant first step towards achieving that goal', comments Jack Wakshlag, Chief Research Officer for Turner Broadcasting. 'College students are an important audience for Turner and many other programmers. We will now have a more complete record of their viewing in Nielsen's estimates and I look forward to working with Nielsen to find ways to include viewing across non-traditional television platforms as well.'

The company, part of VNU, 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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