Rating and TV Share

Week 0922/ Channel Telecast
Channel		All 5+					SES ABC*					SES AB*					SES C*					SES DE*					SES CDE*
RCTI		17.6	%	p	0.3		18.1	%	p	0.7		20.4	%	p	0.5		17.0	%	p	0.8		16.7	%	q	-0.5		16.8	%	p	0.2
TRANS		15.0	%	p	0.4		15.3	%	p	0.3		15.9	%	q	-0.5		14.9	%	p	0.6		14.6	%	p	1.0		14.8	%	p	0.7
SCTV		14.8	%	q	-1.2		14.6	%	q	-1.6		14.3	%	q	-2.2		14.8	%	q	-1.2		15.1	%	q	-0.5		14.9	%	q	-0.9
IVM		13.7	%	p	0.3		13.1	%	p	0.3		11.7	%	p	0.8		13.8	%	u	0.0		15.0	%	p	0.4		14.3	%	p	0.2
TRANS 7		8.8	%	p	0.6		8.8	%	p	0.4		8.6	%	p	0.6		8.9	%	p	0.4		8.9	%	p	0.9		8.9	%	p	0.6
TPI		8.1	%	q	-0.4		7.6	%	q	-0.4		5.1	%	q	-0.4		8.8	%	q	-0.5		9.2	%	q	-0.2		9.0	%	q	-0.3
ANTV		6.2	%		-0.8		6.1	%	q	-0.4		4.9	%	q	-0.1		6.7	%	q	-0.5		6.5	%	q	-1.5		6.6	%	q	-0.9
GTV		6.2	%	p	0.5		6.4	%	p	0.7		6.9	%	p	0.8		6.2	%	p	0.6		5.9	%	p	0.4		6.1	%	p	0.6
TVONE		4.8	%		-0.1		5.1	%	q	-0.1		6.0	%	p	0.2		4.7	%	q	-0.2		4.1	%	q	-0.2		4.4	%	q	-0.2
METRO		1.9	%	p	0.1		2.2	%	p	0.3		3.2	%	p	0.4		1.7	%	p	0.2		1.4	%	u	0.0		1.6	%	p	0.1
TVRI1		0.6		Channel All 5+ SES ABC* SES AB* SES C* SES DE* SES CDE* RCTI 17.6 % p 0.3 18.1 % p 0.7 20.4 % p 0.5 17.0 % p 0.8 16.7 % q -0.5 16.8 % p 0.2 TRANS 15.0 % p 0.4 15.3 % p 0.3 15.9 % q -0.5 14.9 % p 0.6 14.6 % p 1.0 14.8 % p 0.7 SCTV 14.8 % q -1.2 14.6 % q -1.6 14.3 % q -2.2 14.8 % q -1.2 15.1 % q -0.5 14.9 % q -0.9 IVM 13.7 % p 0.3 13.1 % p 0.3 11.7 % p 0.8 13.8 % u 0.0 15.0 % p 0.4 14.3 % p 0.2 TRANS 7 8.8 % p 0.6 8.8 % p 0.4 8.6 % p 0.6 8.9 % p 0.4 8.9 % p 0.9 8.9 % p 0.6 TPI 8.1 % q -0.4 7.6 % q -0.4 5.1 % q -0.4 8.8 % q -0.5 9.2 % q -0.2 9.0 % q -0.3 ANTV 6.2 % q -0.8 6.1 % q -0.4 4.9 % q -0.1 6.7 % q -0.5 6.5 % q -1.5 6.6 % q -0.9 GTV 6.2 % p 0.5 6.4 % p 0.7 6.9 % p 0.8 6.2 % p 0.6 5.9 % p 0.4 6.1 % p 0.6 TVONE 4.8 % q	0.0		0.6	%	u	0.0		0.8	%	u	0.0		0.5	%	u	0.0		0.5	%	u	0.0		0.5	%	u	0.0

The following information comes from the A.C. Nielsen Web site FAQs and will explain the basics of how television audience measurements are derived.

http://faculty.elgin.edu/gchristenson/docs/SPH%20106%20Film/How%20TV%20Is%20Measured.doc

What is a rating and a share?

The terms rating and share are basic to the television industry. Both are percentages. A rating is a percent of the universe that is being measured, most commonly discussed as a percent of all television households. As such, a rating is always quantifiable, assuming you know the size of the universe (TV households, persons, women 18 – 34, and so forth). A share is the percent of households or persons using television at the time the program is airing and who are watching a particular program. Thus, a share does not immediately tie back to an actual number, because it is a percent of a constantly changing number – TV sets in use. Shares can be useful as a gauge of competitive standing.

How do you figure out the ratings?

Nielsen Media Research continually measures television viewing with a number of different samples all across the U.S. The first step is to develop representative samples. This must be done with a scientifically drawn random selection process. No volunteers can be accepted or the statistical accuracy of the sample would be in jeopardy.

Nationally, there are 5,000 television households in which electronic meters (called People Meters) are attached to every TV set, VCR, cable converter box, satellite dish or other video equipment in the home. The meters continually record all set tuning. In addition we ask each member of the household to let us know when they are watching by pressing a pre-assigned button on the People Meter which is also present. By matching this button activity to the demographic information (age/gender) we collect at the time the meters are installed, we can match the set tuning – what is being watched – with who is watching. All these data are transmitted to Nielsen Media Research’s computers where they are processed and released to our customers each day.

In addition to this national service, we have a slightly different metering system in 49 local markets. In each of those 49 markets Nielsen Media Research gathers just the set-tuning information each day from more than 20,000 additional homes. We than process the data and release what we call "household ratings" daily. In this case we can report what channel or program is being watched, but we don’t have the "who" part of the picture. To gather that local demographic information, we periodically (at least 4 times per year) ask another group of people to participate in our diary surveys. For these estimates, we contact approximately 1 million homes each year and ask them to keep track of television viewing for one week, recording their TV viewing activity in a diary. This is done for all 210 television markets in the United States in November, February, May and July and is generally referred to as the "sweeps".

You may also check out the "What TV Ratings Really Means" button on our Public Web site. This link provides detailed information about how Nielsen Media Research measures television and the Internet.

Does Nielsen Media Research cancel low rated programs?

No. Occasionally some viewers find that a program they watch gets canceled. By estimating the audience, our information helps programmers keep the popular shows on TV, and it also helps them make the difficult decisions to cancel unpopular shows.

The irony of the mass medium of television is that a program with "only" a few million viewers may be an unpopular program. It may take ten million viewers for a network or nationally syndicated program to be popular enough to be a business success. Every time a program is canceled, a few million viewers feel betrayed. But if programmers tried to keep all programs going, the shows that lose money would eventually put the programmers out of business.

Nielsen Media Research ratings are also used by non-commercial television. They can learn about the audience they serve and make better programming decisions.

How many "Nielsen families" are there?

There are 5,000 households in the national People Meter sample, approximately 20,000 households in the local metered market samples, approximately 1,000 metered homes for our national and local Hispanic measurement, and nearly 1.6 million diaries are edited each year.