Nielsen Tracking High-Tech TV Could Change Media
June 14, 2006 -- -- In what's certainly a sign of the times, Nielson Media Research -- the company that calculates who's watching what on television and when -- is going to start keeping track of TV watching that doesn't take place on TVs.
With the growing use of the Internet, iPods, cell phones and other portable devices to watch TV programs, Nielsen announced today that the company would start tracking what people are tuning in to, regardless of the platform.
"Digital technology is driving changes in the way people watch television and is enabling Nielsen to follow them," said Gary Holmes, a spokesman for Nielsen.
Using new technology, the company will also do away with the use of handwritten diaries, which Nielsen distributed to participating families in certain markets during "sweeps weeks" -- the four weeks a year when ratings are set and networks establish their advertising prices.
For years, many have criticized the diaries as flawed and unreliable. By making use of new technologies, Nielsen hopes to quiet its critics.
"This will create a broader, deeper and more accurate representation of the way in which people watch TV," said Holmes. "We believe it will create a more accurate measure over all."
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