Sunday, March 16, 2008

Nutty Nielsens



More on Nutty Nielsen ratings.

"Nielsen recently announced time frames for two major data initiatives, including a new "enhanced weighting" procedure that has the potential of generating differences in ratings estimates effective with the next television season. Nielsen said it will revise the algorithms it uses to weight national ratings beginning in September 2008, and that the revision would likely have an effect on both program and average commercial minute audience estimates."
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"Nielsen's calculation systems are so complex, especially since they've weighted people in the database so that a person is not a simple person. A person is 1.1 on one day and 1.5 on another day," Brooks explains, adding, "Therefore, when they do multiple calculations they run the risk that people who were heavily weighted in the 'live' sample, may not be in the playback sample."


1 comment:

Debby said...

Seems like manipulation of data to me. Especially since when I filled out a diary they didn't have enough data to verify that I fit the demogprahic I told them I did. I didn't lie but I bet some people do. There has got to be a better way to measure the viewing audience of a show.