Congressmen Dan Burton and Jesse Jackson, Jr. Urge Colleagues Not to Intervene in Television Ratings Business
Congressmen Dan Burton and Jesse Jackson, Jr. Urge Colleagues Not to Intervene in Television Ratings Business
Legislators Co-Author Letter Saying That Federal Regulation of the Ratings Industry is an Unnecessary Government Intrusion
NEW YORK, March 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Representatives Dan Burton (R, IN) and Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D, IL) today sent a joint (letter/memo) to members of Congress warning that Federal regulation of the television ratings industry is an unwarranted government intrusion that could possibly damage the accuracy of the ratings system.
Responding to efforts by the group "Don't Count Us Out," to criticize the reliability of Nielsen Media Research's Local People Meter (LPM) system, the two legislators urged that the issue "be debated in the boardroom and not in the halls of Congress."
"Should it be the Federal Government's responsibility to inform Americans that 'American Idol' was last week's number-one show in its timeslot?," the Congressmen asked. "Would it truly be a wise use of taxpayer dollars to create a Federal Department of Television Advertising just to set the price for Super Bowl advertising? We think not."
The letter also recognizes the effectiveness of the Media Rating Council (MRC), that monitors the quality of research conducted by Nielsen and other media ratings providers, and praises the Council for setting standards for accuracy and integrity.
Nielsen President and CEO Susan Whiting welcomed the Congressmen's letter, stating: "We are enormously pleased that Congressman Burton and Congressman Jackson have taken the time to seriously consider the effect that Federal regulation might have on the ratings industry. In a time of rapid innovation and constant change within the television industry, it is essential that we continue to develop our methods and technologies with parallel speed and flexibility to remain responsive to the needs of our clients and the public. Congressmen Burton and Jackson understand the value of a free and open market, and we greatly appreciate their thoughtful attention."
For more information on Local People Meters, please visit http://www.everyonecounts.tv/.
Text of Letter from Congressman Dan Burton and Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.
SHOULD THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TELL THE TELEVISION INDUSTRY WHAT SHOWS TO AIR
AND HOW MUCH TO CHARGE ADVERTISERS FOR COMMERCIAL TIME?
March 17, 2005
Dear Colleague:
Over the past year there has been a growing public relations effort by an organization called "Don't Count Us Out" to convince Congress and the American people that there is a controversy regarding the current state of the television ratings system. The introduction of the new Local People Meter (LPM) rating system - a technology that has been used nationally since 1987- has sparked a debate about the appropriate use of ratings to determine program content, and whether ratings accurately record the viewing habits of local communities in today's dynamic entertainment market that includes broadcast, cable, multicast, VCRs, DVRs, and other technologies.
We agree that these are important questions to debate but we believe they should appropriately be debated in the boardroom and not the halls of Congress. Should it be the Federal Government's responsibility to inform Americans that "American Idol" was last week's number-one show in its timeslot? Would it truly be a wise use of taxpayer dollars to create a Federal Department of Television Advertising just to set the price for Super Bowl advertising? We think not.
The United States has developed a broadcast television system that is the envy of the entire world. Our content is in demand all over the globe, and contributes billions of dollars to our economy yearly. Virtually all the programming in this system is paid for by advertising revenues. In turn, advertisers and program providers, pay to know which shows people watch. This system has worked exceptionally well for decades.
In addition, the Media Rating Council (MRC), an organization created to monitor the quality of research conducted by Nielsen and other media ratings providers, is already deeply involved in ensuring that the television ratings measurement system embodies the highest standards of accuracy and integrity, as well as embracing the widest cross-section of households possible. MRC serves as an extremely effective oversight body for ratings services, and we believe that Federal regulation of the industry is an unnecessary government intrusion into the private sector that could potentially have a damaging effect on ratings accuracy by slowing down innovation at a time of rapid change in entertainment viewing habits.
The Federal Trade Commission already has enough work to do without Congress telling it to intervene to fix a system that may need a few tweaks but certainly isn't broken.
Sincerely,
Dan Burton Jesse Jackson, Jr.
Member of Congress Member of Congress
Source: Nielsen Media Research
CONTACT: Jack Loftus of Nielsen Media Research, +1-646-654-8360
Web site: http://www.everyonecounts.tv/
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