U.S. Born Latinos Missing From Nielsen Sample

U.S. Born Latinos Missing From Nielsen Sample

Nielsen's Methodology Favors Spanish Language Television

NEW YORK, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- AIM Tell-A-Vision Group (AIM TV), the pioneering company producing culturally relevant television for U.S.-born Latinos announced an initiative to convince Nielsen Media Research, Inc. to change its current language stratification method of monitoring U.S. Hispanic viewing. AIM TV contends the current methodology of Hispanic audience measurement is skewed towards foreign-born Hispanics who prefer Spanish language television and that a more accurate measurement weighted by nativity (the location of one's birth, i.e., U.S. Born or Foreign Born) is needed.

AIM TV claims the impact of Nielsen's outdated statistical model is far reaching, resulting in little English language television targeted to the nation's largest minority and fewer roles in general for Latinos in front of and behind the camera. They cite a recent Screen Actors Guild report on diversity, where Latinos represented less than 6% of all primetime characters on TV despite making up over 14% of the population.

AIM TV claims Nielsen's failure to properly monitor U.S. Born television viewing also costs English language TV outlets (national and local) precious audience numbers, tens of millions in ad revenue and the growing pool of marketers targeting U.S. Latinos' valuable market share.

According to recent U.S. Census data, the vast majority of Latinos are U.S. born (60%) but only make up a small percentage of Spanish TV's audience (Tomas Rivera Policy Institute, Rincon & Associates, Pew Hispanic Center). Yet consistently the top Nielsen rated programs for U.S. Hispanics are on Spanish language television garnering Spanish TV outlets over 90% of Hispanic targeted TV ad dollars by leading the industry, advertisers and Wall Street to believe that Latinos prefer Spanish language television.

Nielsen's current methodology uses Language Stratification (e.g., Spanish Only, Mostly Spanish, English/Spanish Equally, Mostly English and Only English) and AIM TV states there are substantial issues with this methodology as indicated by the 2004 Rincon & Associates' Latino Television Study. AIM TV contends there are several research studies that indicate language preference is subjective, unreliable and difficult to measure. Furthermore, this methodology takes Nielsen's Hispanic sample (just over 1,100) and divides it into five smaller, more unstable samples.

AIM TV points to solid research that confirms that nativity is the number one factor that determines television viewing patterns of Latinos (Spanish TV or English TV). Latinos born in the U.S. watch mostly English language TV and foreign born Latinos watch mostly Spanish language TV. Based on this research, AIM TV contends that Nielsen should weight their sample by nativity to match U.S. census data (U.S. born 60% / Foreign born 40%), creating a sample divided into two larger objective sections rather than five smaller subjective groups.

"Nielsen can accurately pinpoint the number of Mexicans, Peruvians, and other nationalities in their Hispanic sample. Why can't Nielsen account for U.S. Born Hispanics, which is by far the most important factor when determining television viewing habits?" asks Robert G. Rose, CEO of AIM Tell-A-Vision. "It's a dated, flawed model and it's time Latinos, industry leaders and researchers demand a change," Rose continued.

AIM Tell-A-Vision is directing people to the website www.ChangeTheSample.com, which provides further details, links to research and supporters and allows people to have their voice heard by signing an online petition to demand Nielsen to CHANGE THE SAMPLE.

Source: AIM Tell-A-Vision Group

CONTACT: Adam Schoenberg, Director of Marketing & Public Relations for
AIM Tell-A-Vision Group, +1-212-627-3192, ext. 18, Adam@aimtv.tv

Web site: http://www.aimtv.tv/
http://www.changethesample.com/

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