All I want to know is, what are they paying?
April 27, 2004 - For Immediate Release
Contact: Jack Loftus 646-654-8360
NIELSEN MAKING LARGEST-EVER SAMPLE INCREASES AMONG AFRICAN-AMERICANS & HISPANIC-AMERICANS
More Representative Samples; People Meter Measurement Offers Demographics
New York, April 27, 2004 – Nielsen Media Research is implementing the largest increases in its samples of African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans in the history of the television measurement service.
The increase in samples will produce more stable data and greater levels of demographic information about African-American and Hispanic-American television audiences than is currently available.
In addition to providing national and local samples that are larger and more representative of the African-American and Hispanic-American populations, Nielsen will be collecting ratings data from these sample homes with a People Meter, the state-of-the-art electronic, data-collection system that provides overnight, demographic ratings information.
Sample Expansion - National
In nationwide television measurement, Nielsen Media Research is doubling the size of its National panel from 5,000 households to nearly 10,000 households. As part of this expansion, the number of African-American TV households in the sample will grow from 670 households to 1,200. That is approximately 12% of the sample. When the sample expansion is completed in 2006, the number of African-Americans in the sample will have grown from 1,820 when the expansion began to approximately 3,200.
The number of Hispanic TV households in the National sample will increase from 540 when the sample expansion began to 1,000 TV households when the expansion is completed in 2006. That means that the number of Hispanic-Americans in the sample will have grown from 1,850 to approximately 3,585.
“This is the largest expansion of African-American and Hispanic-American TV households in the history of the Nielsen television measurement service,” said Susan D. Whiting, president and CEO of Nielsen Media Research. “Just as important,” she added, “is that our recruitment efforts have resulted in a higher success rate in recruiting African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans into our samples, thus improving the overall quality of these important sample groups.”
Sample Expansion - Local
As part of its sample expansions, Nielsen is introducing People Meter measurement into the top 10 markets. Nielsen began with Boston in May 2002, and will continue with New York on June 3, 2004. Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco will follow later this year. People Meters will be introduced into the remaining five markets in 2005 and 2006.
African-American Sample – Los Angeles & New York
In Los Angeles, the number of African-American TV households in the sample will increase from the existing 55 set-meter homes to 77 People Meter homes. In LA, African-American TV households make up 9.6% of the total People meter sample. The population estimate of African-American TV households in LA is 8.8%.
In New York, the number of African-American TV households in the sample will increase from 104 set-meter homes to 166 People Meter homes. In NY, African American TV Households make up 20.8% of the Local People Meter sample. The population estimate of African-American TV Households in NY is 17.3%.
Hispanic-American Sample – Los Angeles & New York
In Los Angeles, the number of Hispanic-American TV households in the sample will increase from 155 set-meter homes to 265 People Meter homes. In LA, Hispanic-American TV Households make up 33.1% of the total Local People Meter sample. The population estimate of Hispanic-American TV households in LA is 31.3%.
In New York, the number of Hispanic-American TV households in the sample will increase from 86 set-meter homes to 144 People Meter homes. In NY, Hispanic-American TV Households make up 17.9% of the total Local People Meter sample. The population estimate of Hispanic-American TV Households in NY is 16.1%.
Innovation in Technology
Nielsen Media Research’s technology for measuring television viewership is an example of excellent design, constantly improved. Today’s data collection systems from Nielsen Media Research can keep pace with hundreds of channels – broadcast or cable, analog or digital, satellite or terrestrial, PC or TV delivered, timeshifted or live – scanning every channel every 2.7 seconds to accurately report the tuning status of every television set within the sample household. Nielsen can use the conventional phone line to download data from sample homes, or it can use cellular. The data are then transformed into the “overnight” ratings and are reported by Nielsen the next morning.
