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BBC and GfK Make Plans
In a week of uncertainty for researchers at the BBC, its Audience & Consumer Research unit has signed a 3-year contract with GfK which it describes as 'the start of a new relationship' between the two. The deal aims to improve and speed up the system for measuring audience reaction to TV and radio programmes.
The announcement comes in the wake of a review by Director-General Mark Thompson which announced job cuts totalling 2,900 jobs across the Corporation, and speculation that the research function could be among many affected.
The GfK contract runs from April 2005, when the current arrangement with Ipsos expires, and will deliver a much faster system of measuring audience response to all terrestrial and selected non-terrestrial television programmes, plus selected radio programmes. The complex new brief was developed in partnership between David Bunker and colleagues in BBC TV Research and Nick North's team at GfK Media.
Key improvements include:- Replacing the current paper and pencil postal method with an online method that allows respondents to log on either at work or home and rate the previous night's programmes
- Releasing data for each programme 36 hours after broadcast (versus 16 days at present)
- Increased flexibility to respond to unforeseen circumstances such as last minute schedule changes or major news events
- an enlarged panel - a massive 15,000 adults, and a separate panel of 1500 children, compared to a total size of 3,000 at present.
Head of Television Research Sam Smith says that the old pen and paper system now seems 'very slow and pretty inflexible... This new system will provide a 36 hour turnaround on audience reaction data. Not only is this of immense value to programme makers it helps us deliver to our public service remit by helping the BBC understand what audiences truly value about our programmes and services'.
Nick North says that GfK brings 'huge knowledge and experience of electronic market research and how to ensure it is demographically robust and inclusive. The pilots start immediately and we'll be reporting back to the BBC on these regularly over the next few months to ensure we get it perfect before the contract starts properly in April 2005'.
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