Ratings

1
Chapter 2

• Ratings

2
Decision-Making Information for Programmers

• Goal Reaching the largest salable audience
• Sell commercial time on predicted audiences
• Program and Audience research involves
• Ratings
• Guides the process of selecting/scheduling
  programs
• Aims to attract audience desired
• Seeks feedback on programming decisions

3
Types of audience research

• Qualitative and quantitative of programs
  themselves
• Qualitative and quantitative of audience
  preferences and reactions
• Quantitative measurement of audience size

4
Qualitative Research

• Descriptive
• Asks why?
• To select and improve programs
• To understand audience reactions
• How people use media.

5
Peoplemeters

• Interactive
• Computer and an electronic handheld device.
• It would be that people signal when viewing
• When prompted, enter information

6
Passive, Portable Peoplemeters

• The Portable People Meter (PPM)
• measurement system that tracks what consumers
  listen to on the radio, watch on broadcast
  television, cable and satellite TV.
• pager-sized device consumers wear throughout the
  day.
• works by detecting identification codes that can
  be embedded in the audio portion of any
  transmission.

7
Passive, Portable Peoplemeters

• The Portable People Meter system consists of four
  components
• Encoder, installed at the programming or
  distribution source to insert an inaudible
  identification code into the audio stream
• Portable People Meter, which is worn by a
  consumer to detect and record the inaudible codes
  in the programming that the consumer is exposed
  to

8
Portable, Passive Peoplemeters

• Base station, to recharge the battery and to send
  collected codes to a household collection device
  known as a "hub"
• Household hub, collects the codes from all the
  base stations in the survey household and
  transmits them to Arbitron via the telephone
  during the overnight hours.

9
Portable, Passive Peoplemeter

• Instructions for users
• Take meter with you.
• Keep the green light on.
• Recharge meter at bedtime.

10
The Passive Peoplemeter in application

• Launched in 1992
• 8-year, 22 million product development
• A wide-range test in Manchester England found
• All programs were detected
• 1.5 million codes per week
• 36,000 media events per week
• 120 events per person per week

11

• Track exposure as people move through their
  everyday lives
• Short term exposure captured
• Also try to match

12
Attempt to mirror populace increase sample size

• Household size
• Presence of children
• Age and working status of household head

• Social class
• Number of TV sets
• Type of reception (satellite, cable, terrestrial)

13

• Automatically identifies station
• Time-stamps
• Records data
• If people did as they were told they accumulate
  points. These points are tabulated and applied
  toward bonuses (merchandise, some money, display
  and comparison of points)
• People kept Peoplemeters with them 97 of time
  they were undocked (about 15 hours per day)

14

• Generally good for adults, men, women and
  children.
• QUESTIONS
• Any problems you can detect?
• Any concerns?
• What trends did you notice in your own viewing?
• What trends did you notice in your own recording
  of information?

15

• Average Quarter Hour Rating showing the average
  percentage of an audience that tuned into a radio
  or television station. AVERAGE
• CUME A cumulative rating. The total number of
  different households that tune to a station at
  different times over a one-week period. SUM

16
Market Reports

• Divided into sections for programmers, sales
  people and advertisers to examine an audience
  from many perspecives
• Include
• Daypart Audiences
• Time Period Averages
• Program Averages

17
Daypart Audience

• Viewing into 29 dayparts.
• Useful format for analyzing overall performance.
• Eg. M-F, noon 6
• Ratings and shares for all stations during the
  daypart.
• Divides viewers into demographics.
• Persons by Dayparts.
• Compare current to historical -- Tracking

18
Time Period Averages

• Interested in television in also ¼ hour or ½ hour
  periods
• Look at a programs strength against the
  competition.
• Analyze performance in time segments.
• For TV
• Access Time, early fringe, lead-in and lead-out

19
Program Audience

• Looks at daypart and program into 30-minute
  segments
• Isolate individual programs on sweep weeks.
• Allows to examine individual programs without
  interference of other shows.
• Syndicated Program Reports

20
Ratings Measurement
21
PPM Insights
22
Percentage of Morning Show (6-10 am) listeners
who viewed reality programs the night before
23
Percentage of Morning Show (6-10 am) listeners
who viewed reality programs the night before
24
Television Ratings Periods

• Television Ratings Service Nielsen
• Important to distinguish between National and
  Local

25
Nielsen Ratings Service

• NATIONAL
• National Market 5,000 HH
• Separate Sample
• All Peoplemeters
• Contract with Nielsen
• All broadcast
• Top 50 cable networks
• Continuous ratings coverage

26
Nielsen Rating Service - LOCAL

• Market-by-market reports
• Allow stations compare to competition
• 211 markets.
• Local Sample 400 500 homes
• Combination of
• Diaries (diary-only small market)
• Local tuning-sensors (wired peoplemeters)

• Large markets may additionally purchase ratings
  for
• October
• January
• March
• Smaller to mid-sized may buy one more.
• Large markets Approx 1.5 mil/year
• Smaller markets Approx 10K/year

27

• Multiple set households (TVHH) are counted only
  once
• The sum of audiences to several programs telecast
  simultaneously may be larger than HUT
• Hut is the number of households viewing at one
  time
• Why? Because one HH may tune to more than one
  program

28
Examle Sunday, 8 pm

• Household 1
• Person 1 -- The Simpsons
• Person 2 Cold Case
• Household 2
• Person 1 Cold Case
• Household 3
• Person 1 Cold Case
• Person 2 The West Wing
• Person 3 -- Charmed
• Household 4
• Not watching TV

29
Examle Sunday, 8 pm

• TVHH 4
• HUT 3 of 4 75
• PUT (persons using TV) 6
• Simpsons 25/33
• Cold Case 75/100
• West Wing 25/33
• Charmed 25/33

• Household 1
• Person 1 -- The Simpsons
• Person 2 Cold Case
• Household 2
• Person 1 Cold Case
• Household 3
• Person 1 Cold Case
• Person 2 The West Wing
• Person 3 -- Charmed
• Household 4
• Not watching TV

30
Audience Measurement

• HUT Households Viewing
• Total Households with Receivers 100
• RATING Households Watching a Network
• Households with Receivers
• SHARE Households Watching a Network
• Households Watching TV
• Also Calculate RATING as (Share HUT)
• 100
• Also Calculate SHARE as (Rating 100)
• HUT

31
Radio Ratings Periods

• Radio ratings Arbitron
• Uses diaries
• Introducing PPM
• In-home and out-of-home listening
• 298 radio markets
• Top 50 and select others continuous measurement
• CM is 48 weeks/year
• Condensed Market 2x/year
• Generally markets 150
• Starting in 2007 will be 4x
• Standard Markets up to 16 weeks
• Youngstown/Warren 119

32

• Average Quarter Hour
• 15 minute intervals
• Rating showing the average percentage of an
  Audience that tuned into a radio or television
  station FOR AT LEAST 5 MINUTES
• AVERAGE
• CUME A cumulative rating. The total number of
  different households that tune to a station at
  different times over a one-week period. SUM

33
Types of Error

• Conceptual error
• Design errors
• Failure to define elements properly
• Failure to sample randomly
• Response error
• Forgot what watched
• Nonresponse error
• Someone refuses to participate
• Operational error
• Recording data doesnt work
• Sample error
• Sample too small
• Error in use
• Data is reported incorrectly

34
Market Reports

• Divided into sections for programmers, sales
  people and advertisers to examine an audience
  from many perspecives
• Include
• Daypart Audiences
• Time Period Averages
• Program Averages

35
Daypart Audience

• Viewing into 29 dayparts.
• Useful format for analyzing overall performance.
• Eg. M-F, noon 6
• Ratings and shares for all stations during the
  daypart.
• Divides viewers into demographics.
• Persons by Dayparts.
• Compare current to historical -- Tracking

36
Time Period Averages

• Interested in television in also ¼ hour or ½ hour
  periods
• Look at a programs strength against the
  competition.
• Analyze performance in time segments.
• For TV
• Access Time, early fringe, lead-in and lead-out

37
Program Audience

• Looks at daypart and program into 30-minute
  segments
• Isolate individual programs on sweep weeks.
• Allows to examine individual programs without
  interference of other shows.
• Syndicated Program Reports