Networks, Advertisers Form Alternative Ratings System
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.
(Source: HuffingtonPost.com)
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