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Three More Years for Time Warner and NMR
Nielsen Media Research has announced an extension of its collaborative relationship with Time Warner Inc. The existing TV audience estimate contract ran for seven years from 1998 - it will now run until at least 2008.
The deal covers Time Warner's national and local television businesses including broadcast, cable and syndication business units, and encompassing Time Warner Cable, Turner Broadcasting, The WB Television Network, HBO, Court TV, and Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. Local People Meter (LPM) service will be provided for Time Warner Cable in New York and Los Angeles and for WTBS in Atlanta.
In addition, the agreement enables both companies to share information and to work together to develop and test new television measurement systems. NMR's General Manager, National Services Sara Erichson says Time Warner's 'forward thinking has helped Nielsen Media plan for the future... We are extremely pleased to continue our strong and collaborative relationship'.
According to Jack Wakshlag, Chief Research Officer at Turner Broadcasting, Time Warner is 'committed to working with Nielsen to ensure that television will always be the best measured medium. Our agreement provides us with continuous hands-on involvement in Nielsen's television research measurement'.
NMR will be particularly glad of such major partners in the light of controversy over LPM and PPM launches in the USA, and rising competition in the market from Europe and elsewhere. A case in point is Irish TV audience measurement: in April, BSkyB, Viacom and Channel 4 announced plans to establish their own system, claiming that they paid more than 80% of NMR's bill but received fewer benefits than Irish broadcasters RTE, TG4 and TV3. The UK firms invested EUR 1.8m before agreeing a compromise only last week and scrapping the rival system: NMR will now give all subscribing broadcasters the same sets of results, and will conduct an audit.
Nielsen Media's home page is at www.nielsenmedia.com and Time Warner's at www.timewarner.com
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