NIELSEN EDUCATES SEATTLE’S HISPANIC TELEVISION VIEWERS ON IMPORTANCE OF COLLECTING RATINGS DATA

The Nielsen Company is pleased to announce its on-going outreach to the Hispanic/Latino community in preparation for its October 2007 introduction of Local People Meter (LPM) technology in the Seattle market. The LPM utilizes full electronic television ratings measurement technology that will be used to report television viewership across the Seattle area.

Local People Meters are advanced electronic devices that continuously record viewing behavior in real time all year long. They accurately record who is watching what programs, and allows the measurement of various advanced technology platforms like time shifted viewing.

“Nielsen places a high priority on educating all local communities on the importance of TV viewing data to ensure that a representative sampling of TV viewers are participating in our panels,,” said Patricia Andrews-Keenan, vice president of community affairs and communications for Nielsen. “Nielsen ratings help TV programmers decide what shows to schedule and where and when to schedule them and as such we believe that every voice and viewing choice counts.”

Over the course of summer and fall 2007 Nielsen will sponsor and participate in a variety of Hispanic/Latino focused events including the Cinco de Mayo celebration, Fiestas Patrias and partnerships with various civic organizations including the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Minority Executive Directors Coalition (MEDC).

These events and partnerships are designed to increase awareness and educate the community on the new measurement technology. Events are structured to be fun, while educating the community on the Nielsen methodology with special giveaways provided as incentives.

In addition to local community involvement Nielsen established a first-of-its-kind relationship with the nationally recognized Hispanic research and policy organization, the William C. Velasquez Institute (WCVI). Their academic team, of nationally recognized Latino social scientists, is working with Nielsen to analyze systems design, sampling, recruitment and field training for the country’s premier television ratings company. The goal is to improve sample representation by improving the manner in which Latinos are recruited into Nielsen’s national and local television samples. These samples are the foundation for the television estimates reported by Nielsen. WCVI is providing recommendations regarding several aspects of Nielsen’s television audience measurement services.

Statistics confirm that the U.S. Hispanic/Latino population has grown 19.4% percent in the last five years while Hispanic households have increased 4.4% nationally. Within the Seattle market approximately 81,050 TV households, or 4.7 percent, are Hispanic/Latino, making them the second largest ethnic television segment. The Seattle TV market is the nation’s 14th largest with 1,724,450 TV households across 17 counties: Chelan, Clallam, Douglas, Gray’s Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston and Whatcom.

Nielsen Sampling Methodology
Selecting a representative sample of homes is vital to collecting data that mirrors the population’s viewing habits. Nielsen’s methodology means that all households have an equal probability of being selected for the sample. Nielsen gathers household information from U.S. Census-defined geographic area data and then field representatives identify each and every housing unit in an area, regardless of size or accessibility. Ultimately, the selection is narrowed down to an individual, randomly selected housing unit. This allows for complete coverage of the market, since no homes are excluded by design.

Once homes are selected and agree to participate, great care is taken to protect their identity and privacy, and no data about individuals or specific households is ever disclosed. Nielsen employees, who are fundamental to establishing a rapport with participating households, are able to speak with households in language (Spanish and Asian) and are trained on specific cultural sensitivities.

Currently, Nielsen uses a combination of electronic meters and written diaries to measure viewership in the Seattle market. The electronic meters are used to report daily viewing, while diaries provide information on the demographic composition of the audience during four survey periods annually. People Meters record viewing behavior in real time while people are actually watching TV. They are connected to every viewing device in the home – DVR’s, VCR’s, and video games and record data every 2.7 seconds, automatically capturing those periods when viewers surf various channels. People Meters have been used to measure national television viewership since 1987 and in selected local markets since 2002. LPM’s are currently used in the top 10 Designated Market Areas (DMAs) to provide local clients with detailed information about local viewing trends. In addition to Seattle, LPM’s are being launched in Houston and Tampa in 2007.

Stumble it! | |

Other posts that may interest you

Post Hispanic Upfronts, DVR Ratings Will Wait

Nielsen Adds Spanish To TV Ratings Babel Stream

Nielsen Signs Up First Spanish Language Network

Nielsen to Report U.S. Ratings for GolTV on Its Spanish-Language Cable Service

Nielsen Ratings Prove Telenovelas Can Deliver

“Unresponsive’ Nielsen attacked at Senate hearing on TV ratings law

Help! Change TV Sets Record Straight on Nielsen's Hispanic Ratings Move - Nielsen's Much Touted Move Leaves U.S. Born Latinos Out of the Mix ... Again!

Univision Novela Clinches #1 Spot Beating Out ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox As It Makes Its Debut In Nielsen National Ratings Service

Software Glitch, Hurricane Prove Double Whammy For Hispanic Ratings

Nielsen to Report U.S. Ratings For MTV Tr3s on its Spanish-Language Broadcast Service