LPMs Increase African-American Ratings, Says NMR

In the latest episode of the Local People Meter (LPM) controversy, US TV ratings company Nielsen Media Research claims that its new measurement system is actually giving higher ratings to shows with an African-American theme or cast, countering critics' claims that they 'under-represent people of color'.

In Philadelphia, six of the ten most watched shows by African Americans, as measured by LPMs, were African American-themed. The old system of paper diaries and set meters recorded only two such shows in the top ten. Similarly, in Washington DC, LPMs measured three African American -themed shows in the top 30, compared with two measured by set meters.

As yet, no viewing figures have been released for the population as a whole, so it is hard to see where these programmes rank overall and the precise implications of the figures are unclear.

Nielsen is replacing paper diaries and set meters with LPMs, which continuously and electronically record viewing in sample homes. The new system uses a larger sample of African-American viewers, and the company claims that the composition of the samples better represents the demographic make-up of the community.

The Nielsen Media Research home page is 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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