Nielsen to Discontinue Puerto Rico Ratings

Nielsen is to discontinue its measurement of radio and TV audiences on Puerto Rico, from December, according to reports, leaving the island with no currency on which to buy and sell audio ads and reduced options for video.

The Caribbean island of Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the USA, neither a sovereign, independent nation nor a US state. Its citizens have some of the rights of US citizens but not others.

In a statement provided to the publication Inside Radio, a Nielsen spokesperson said the decision to withdraw had been a difficult one, but reflected its need 'as a global organization' to 'continuously evaluate how it deploys its resources across all regions.' The statement said the company 'will work alongside local stakeholders throughout this process to facilitate a thoughtful and orderly handover.'

Puerto Rico has around 3.2 million inhabitants. But many broadcasters on the island do not subscribe to Nielsen's services - in the case of radio there are only five who do, accounting for less than 20% of listening in the market. While there are other options for TV stations / video publishers, the withdrawal will leave radio stations with no independently measured audience data.

The firm, which began measuring TV on the island in 2010, is online at www.nielsen.com .

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