Research Council Begins Its First Study to Improve Television Audience Measurement

Research Council Begins Its First Study to Improve Television Audience Measurement

Council for Research Excellence Formed to Improve Research Knowledge

NEW YORK, April 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The Council for Research Excellence will soon begin its first detailed study into one of the fundamentals of television audience measurement -- the quality of the research samples from which the ratings are drawn.

The Council for Research Excellence was created by Nielsen Media Research in 2005, via a dedicated $2.5 million R&D fund, and renewed for an additional $2.5 million earlier this year. The Council serves as an independent forum for Nielsen to gain greater insights and to ensure that client priorities are reflected in Nielsen's R&D spending.

The Council's first study will explore "non-response bias" in Nielsen's national and local samples, including People Meters and Diary methodologies. The study will seek to understand if there are differences in viewing behavior between those households or persons that agree to participate in Nielsen's samples and those that refuse to participate. Do these differences have a material impact on reported ratings? The results could lead to new methods of panel recruitment.

The project will be led by Ceril Shagrin, Senior Vice President for Corporate Research at Univision. The study is expected to take two years to complete at a cost of more than $1 million. A panel of experts will provide independent analysis and interpretation of the research that will be conducted by Nielsen Media Research.

"This study will try to measure all non-responders," said Shagrin. "This is a first step in understanding if the television viewing among cooperators differs in any material way from viewing habits among people who refuse to participate in Nielsen's samples. Since the ratings are used as currency for more than $70 billion in television advertising, we need to make certain that these estimates are as accurate as possible."

The Chair of the Council is Mark Kaline, Global Media Manager at Ford Motor Company. "This is an important subject," said Kaline, "and I'm very proud of the work that's been done already to dimension the scope of this research project. This is a great example of how the Council will work to benefit all who rely on audience research."

"This proposal shows that the Council will produce research of the highest quality," said Paul Donato, Nielsen's Senior Vice President and Chief Research Officer. "This research has the potential to bring significant improvements to audience measurement. Results could offer new models for recruitment as well as improved sample representation."

The research project will use questionnaires to collect responses. Incentives will have a key role in the study.

About Nielsen Media Research

Nielsen Media Research is part of VNU Media Measurement & Information, a global leader in information services for the media and entertainment industries. For more information, please visit our web site at http://www.nielsenmedia.com/. VNU is a global information and media company active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in Haarlem, The Netherlands, and New York, USA. The company employs 41,000 people. VNU is listed on the Euronext Amsterdam stock exchange. For more information, please visit http://www.vnu.com/.

Source: Nielsen Media Research

CONTACT: Anne Elliot of Nielsen Media Research, +1-813-366-3556

Web site: http://www.nielsenmedia.com/
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