Nielsen Media Research Announce That Nielsen Will Reschedule Launch Of Local People Meters In NYC.

In response to criticism of the impact of new people meter technology upon the measurement of viewer support of programming featuring African Americans and Latino performers, Congressman Charles B. Rangel joined the Nielsen Media Research Company in announcing a postponement of the implementation of the people meter and the formation of a task force to study means of assuring the accurate counting of African American and Latino viewers.

Congressman Rangel and Susan D. Whiting, CEO and President of Nielsen Media Research, today announced that Nielsen is rescheduling the introduction of Local People Meters (LPM) in New York City to June 3 in order to allow time for more extensive communication regarding the benefits and accuracy of LPMs. Nielsen, which had previously planned to launch this technologically advanced local ratings system in New York City on April 8, will use the additional time to meet with clients, elected officials and community leaders who have inquired about the system over the past week.

Congressman Rangel and Ms. Whiting also announced that Nielsen is forming a Task Force on TV Measurement to ensure that people of color are fully counted in TV ratings and to review future initiatives to make certain that networks, stations and advertisers have the best possible information on which to base their decisions. The membership of this ongoing Task Force, which will consist of respected industry and community leaders, will be announced by Congressman Rangel and Nielsen shortly.

Congressman Rangel said that he understands the adverse reaction of minority communities to any technology that would appear to undercount the numbers of African Americans and Latinos watching television. “We are aware that success in television is dependent on the ratings and we want to be certain that our choices are recognized and accurately reflected. I believe Nielsen is committed to ensuring that its ratings correctly mirror the viewing patterns of African American and Latino audiences, and I appreciate the gesture they are making in postponing the launch of Local People Meters in order to first answer questions that have been raised about this technology.

“I also congratulate Nielsen on their decision to create a respected Task Force that will ensure that people of color are fully counted by Local People Meters. The Task Force will review the People Meter technology, the methodology used to measure usage, the recruitment of Nielsen families of color and other issues related to our participation in determining local television ratings. I’m glad Nielsen has agreed to take the time necessary to address this issue,” Congressman Rangel said.

Susan Whiting said: “The People Meter has been the standard for national television ratings in the U.S. since 1987 and has served as the benchmark for television measurements around the world. The introduction of this advanced technology in local markets will produce more precise and reliable data about African American and Latino television audiences. However, it is clear there is widespread concern about the introduction of this technology in New York City. Out of respect for the elected officials and community leaders who have voiced concern about People Meters, we are rescheduling the launch in New York City so that we can fully answer all their inquiries. This would not have been possible prior to our originally scheduled launch date of April 8.”