Coalition For Innovative Media Measurement: Networks, Advertisers Form Alternative Ratings System

NEW YORK — Fourteen media companies said they are joining forces to fund new ways to track viewership of television programming throughout various platforms.

ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox are all involved, along with Time Warner and Viacom. Prominent advertisers Procter & Gamble, AT&T and Unilever are also included in the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement.

The companies have all agreed to make contributions of at least $1 million combined. The coalition will give money to companies or individuals that present promising research opportunities.

Television networks have frequently grumbled about Nielsen Media Research, the company that has a virtual monopoly on counting TV viewers, the currency for a multibillion dollar advertising business.

In particular, there are worries about an insufficient ability to account for people who watch programming in different forms – on their computers, through on-demand services and in public places. Although attempts to compete with Nielsen have failed, networks have been convinced in the past that complaints or other research initiatives prod Nielsen into updating its methods.

But Alan Wurtzel, chief researcher for NBC Universal, said the coalition simply wanted to look for innovative ideas at a time when habits and technology are rapidly changing.

"The notion that this is about Nielsen is just a misunderstanding of why we got together," Wurtzel said.

Nancy Tellem, president of CBS Paramount Network Television Entertainment Group, said the coalition hopes Nielsen will be part of the solution.

Nielsen did not immediately respond to e-mail and telephone messages seeking comment Thursday.

Comments

[MercuryMediaDRTV]

Once again, the traditional ad industry is a day late and a step short in reacting to shifts in consumer behavior and client expectations. While the Council for Innovative Media Measurement’s goal to sum viewership across platforms (television, mobile, web) is important, they making an error in positioning: continuing to think like media stakeholders, not business stakeholders. Focusing only on what consumers are watching and where they are watching isn't enough. We need to understand what people do in response to our messaging and what combinations of media platforms succeeded in generating a response. Without this, we won't be taken seriously by the CEOs, CFOs and purchasing. The Direct Response business was built on response metrics - it’s a key reason that we’ve continued to grow in today’s marketplace. Every day, clients shift dollars away from “expenditures” and into “investments.” Out of traditional media and into measured media. Isn’t it time that traditional and direct response advertisers worked together on creating this new math? - Jonathan Anastas, Strategic Advisor to the Office of the CEO, Mercury Media, www.mercurymedia.com

[NoSillyName]

Nielsen just sent me TWO BUCKS to complete a short survey!

[Sandy248]

Maybe the networks can come up with a system that accurately measures what people watch than what they write down. Now I see why shows featuring African Americans don't make it according to Nielsen ratings.

[jerryfromcalifornia]

I work in television and have always felt that Nielsen has been an unbreakable monopoly. Its about time that the networks and advertisers reacted.
jerry belairca

[ramblingjohnny]

I guess Nielsen was not willing to fake their numbers to help scam advertising client!

[Konnie]

seems to me that the technology should exist for the satillete and cable companies to track the clicks on the box or remote. if the government can divert a gazillion emails for spying , these companies have to have something that would settle the issue. after all how do they decide
what channels to carry and which ones to place on the high priced levels?

[JumpDownTurnAround]

Also in keeping with your theory - since we've converted to Digital, with the converter boxes for regular broadcast television over antenna, I would think that it would be extremely simple and easy for all cable, satellite and even antenna broadcast to get that data!
I don't understand the "big deal"...it seems that in this day and age of technology, it would be so easy to get the ratings stats, that would be more reliable than anything Nielsen ever put out.

[ramblingjohnny]

Everybody involved is totally scared of a system that would provide exact data that is neither modeled and based on a small sample. Advertising revenue on TV would go down the drain faster than newspapers revenue did.

[jason10006]

"No wonder Fox (aka Fake News) Network has such high ratings"

Uhhh, if Fox was being favored by Nielsen, they would not skew so old, rural, uneducated, and poor. FThe target demo is actually 25-54 year olds for all the cable news networks, and THAT is what advertisers pay for in most part. In addition, detailed data shows that MSNBC, CNBC, and CNN have wealthier and more educted viewers, and generally younger ones. Hence for many shows that Fox wins in overall viewers, they get the same number of DOLLARS or less than CNN, etc.

Furthermore, Fox Business news gets less viewers than CNBC or even Bloomberg TV.

Finally, Fox TV, outside of sports, "American Idol" and "House", generally trails ABC and CBS in overall ratings and the Demo.

So this hardly sounds like any sort of conspiracy by or for Murdoch.

[urweatherman]

Sorry, but your "detailed data" is totally reversed, FOX maintains the wealthier and more educated viewers. No matter what system is used, FOX will outrank MSNBC and CNN combined! Have a nice day.

[DanniD]

Wealthier and more educated, you say? Bwahahahahaha!!!

[pakaal]

OK, so FOX has higher ratings because more viewers watch it than the others, but that's a subset of all people in the US, it's not a closed set in which everyone watches some station.

My point is, how many more (like myself) rarely if ever watch ANY cable news and choose to get their news online?

Nielsen only gives stats for TV watchers, a new system like the one they're conceptualizing might come up with some interesting new data on how we ALL get our news.

[JumpDownTurnAround]

So says the "weatherman" ....and we ALL know how reliable they can be, right?
Give me a break. If the majority of FOX viewers have your mentality then you've just proven your theory completely fallible.

[avchavis]

No wonder Fox (aka Fake News) Network has such high ratings - LOL
With Nielson being the only ratings company it's probably bought and sold by Ruppert - IMO!
We're practically forced to watch Faux in places like gyms, doctors offices and certain stores or bars.
Sounds suspect and scandalous to me.

[cybrown551]

I agree.

[DestinationsUnknown]

Wonder why we can’t compete globally?

C- Street U.S. Rep. Chip Pickering (R-MS) did for the country and the telecommunication industry. 1995*2007

He was the man- the man - for our telecommunications.

In the House, Pickering specialized in telecommunications issues, including one dear to Cellular South: making sure Congress took into account the interests of cellular companies serving rural areas.
Governor Sanford of SC emailed his mistress stating internet connection is unreliable at his farm.

The Do Nothings! Country First Congress!

Telecommunications Lobbying created their oligopolies,
(monopolies are illegal in USA)

Wonder why JAPAN offers the World’s fastest broadband and we do not?

4-3-09-By Saul Hansell

The fastest consumer broadband in the world is the 160-megabi­t-per-seco­nd service offered by J: Com, the largest cable company in Japan.

The cable modem needed for that speed costs about $60, compared with about $30 for the current generation.

By contrast, Verizon is spending an average of $817 per home passed to wire neighborhoods for its FiOS fiber optic network and another $716 for equipment and labor in each home that subscribes, according to Sanford C. Bernstein & Company.

Governor Sanford of SC emailed his mistress stating internet connection is unreliable at his farm.

I guess this is acceptable for the Republicans. Just like Healthcare?

[pakaal]

Keep in mind Japan is on a technological par with the US (if not above), and the entire country is about the size of California, making it much easier to wire the country up.

[DestinationsUnknown]

In the House, Pickering specialized in telecommunications issues, including one dear to Cellular South: making sure Congress took into account the interests of cellular companies serving rural areas.

[jason10006]

So in some measure this is a legitmate attempt (and really, like the 10th or 11th attempt in the last 40 years) for the networks to create a better system than what they have now. And there probably is a better way than Nielsen. But this is also an attempt to deny the obvious - people utilize traditional advertiser-driven media less than before, and this problem won't go away, it will only get worse.

[jason10006]

Nielsen now can actually scan the faces of those watching the TV to see which family member it is, how many are in the room, and if they are actually watching the TV or just in the room doing something else. For home viewers its super accurate now that they have cameras on the boxes.

People who say they have not been a Nielsen family or don't know anyone who is and thus that neilsen is no good are fairly ignorant of basic statistics. Polls are not 100% accurate, but they are clearly 95-99% accurate in predicting election outcomes, and Nielsen is nothing more than a continuous poll - and despite what some have said here, it accurately reflects the demographics of the U.S.

The problems have always been non-home users (people in bars, at college, hotels, etc.) The internet and such simply compound it, though the neilsen DVR+3 and DVR+7 ratings help somewhat.

But bottom line, countless polls and studies have shown that people are watching relatively less TV now - especially in the target 18-49 demo, and especially ESPECIALLY in the under 35 male demo that is extra-hard to reach. They even watch less sports than they did 10-20 years ago. Videogames, the internet, DVRs, the usual suspects are to blame.

[urweatherman]

With the MSM and the info you stated, its no wonder our population is becoming so ignorant and mis-informed!

[Taratrue]

There are no cameras and be careful that you don't scare the hell out of people with your fantasies. People have been sued for much less. Without Nielsen there would be NO PROGRAMMING on TV. The programmers and advertisers would not know where to put their money.

[Taratrue]

YOU LIE!
There are no cameras and be careful that you don't scare the hell out of people with your fantasies. Its a good thing for you that you can not be located because you are a menance. People have been sued for much less.

[ABCD]

I always wanted to be hooked up with Nielsens. We watch a lot of TV in my house :-( - lol

[praxitas]

i got a call. i had long believed they just made stuff up, but they called. i asked what was in it for me (they make money, they are powerful, they were asking for my time and effort etc.). they said nothing. i said thanks but no thanks. they called back and insisted. i said don't call back.

[Hailey73]

Actually they pay you a small fee and will replace your TV and any other AV device hooked up to the system.

[Taratrue]

Sometimes hundreds of dollara.

[DestinationsUnknown]

we are so far behind

technology - that was under C-Street R-MS Pickering - 12 years

Guess who has fastest broadband?

[filo]

Verizon FIOS ?

[DestinationsUnknown]

Japan

[fallingsky]

another system to rate Olbermaddow and Schultz as insignificant

[DestinationsUnknown]

truth hurts

some phrases just cannot be spun!

can't murdoch that!