How do RADIO / TV Companies get listener / viewing ratings. DO THEY REALLY KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE TUNED IN?

Question

How do RADIO / TV Companies get listener / viewing ratings. DO THEY REALLY KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE TUNED IN?

Answer 1

radio uses the 'arbitron' system while television uses the 'neilsen' system...

the arbitron system uses diaries that listeners fill out and return by mail...the neilsen system uses a combination of diaries and (in some markets) computers...

but to answer the main gist of yer question: no...they don't have an exact number of listeners/viewers...5 arbitron diaries (either not sent in or sent in from one part of town) can skew the final 'numbers'...

Answer 2

It's spelled NIELSEN and Arbitron is moving to electronic monitoring called PPM for people.

Nielsen.  Like the actor. Like the ratings.

Answer 3

Yes and no...

KenMan is correct on the companies and how it's done.

Basically they pay a small group to participate and record on paper what they watch or hear in a week period  (It gets more complicated than that as they are going to more detailed reports than this now)

Out of that small sample then we can draw conclusions. If my test group has the same racial makeup as the general public but in a smaller number I can draw a conclusion

Such as if 3% of my group listened to this radio station, then I estimate that 3% of a total listening area is tuning in...

However some fill out books more than others, for example, rock stations normally don't do good in paper logs as their listeners normally doesn't want to be bothered by doing it, are now having where the stations are killing under the newer audomated logging the companies are rolling out for instance

Answer 4

Nielson uses set-top boxes that record TV viewing. That data is then projected from their sample to the general population.

Arbitron is in the process of moving from paper diaries to the Portable People Meter - a pager-like device that "listens" and records any broadcast signal you are exposed to. Then reports that data which (like with TV and all statistical studies) is projected to represent the entire population based on a small group.

What they are finding with this new device against the paper diary (which had long been thought to be faulty) is actually MORE total radio listening than had previously been reported - but for shorter periods of time. And, (don't shoot the messenger, I'm just telling you what they've found)

that black and Hispanic listening was not as much as previously reported.

Exact? No. Close? Very.

-a guy named duh