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MUMBAI:
Broadcasters Audience Research Board (Barb) has announced
that TNS which works in the area of market insight and information,has
won two contracts to measure UK TV audiences starting in 2010.
TNS
will provide the Barb industry currency for TV audience measurement
in the UK. Under the terms of the contracts, TNS will be responsible
for the establishment and the operation of a 5,100 home meter
panel.
The
panel will be recruited in 2008, allowing TNS to trial its
service, starting in early 2009 in parallel with the current
service. The current contract, running to 31 December 2009.
TNS
will provide Barb with a fixed TV-meter system using TNS’
successful TNS 5000 Series Modular PeopleMeter. The 5000 Series
is a proven audience measurement tool; TNS has provided 52,000
of this latest model of People Meter for use in 30,000 homes
in 15 countries.
Babr
CEO Bjarne Thelin said, “Barb has considered numerous
innovative proposals over a rigorous15-month tendering process.
Only a handful are sufficiently proven to be accepted by the
industry at present. BARB is committing to a system (based
around TNS’ fixed TV-meter system) which is state of
the art, but with potential to be further developed to incorporate
new techniques and keep pace with a rapidly changing industry.”
Meanwhile,
TNS and Barb will together consider for potential future implementation
TNS’s innovative TotalMeter solution as a single-source
fixed and portable metering panel. The system integrates Arbitron’s
Portable People Meter (PPM) system (licensed by TNS) with
TNS’s existing fixed metering within the same panel homes.
TotalMeter is designed to provide audience measurement for
conventional TV viewing as well new platforms such as PCs,
portable devices and out-of-home TV viewing.
If
Barb choose to progress with the new system, it could be phased
into the initial measurement system, but only after completion
of extensive testing and parallel tracking, and only following
full industry consultation.
TNS
CEO David Lowden said, “We welcome BARB’s decision
to switch to TNS with enthusiasm and excitement. The return
of the Barb contract to TNS is recognition both of our many
years of experience in the media industry, and of our ability
to address the future audience measurement needs of the world
of TV. Media fragmentation calls for the ability to deliver
a total picture of viewing habits, and TNS demonstrated to
Barb that we have the expertise to do that in the next decade.
TNS delivered a unique, fully integrated future-ready solution
that demonstrated our understanding of the changing TV industry.”
TNS
Media Research global director of Research Richard Marks who
headed the Barb pitch said, “The digital revolution is
presenting a continuing measurement challenge and the UKis
one of the most technologically complex markets in the world.
TNS will build on its existing proven technology for current
TV viewing platforms whilst working in partnership with Barb
to meet new requirements for newer PC-based, portable or out-of-home
forms of TV viewing.
"TNS’
Barb solution meets the audience measurement needs of today
and charts a stable path to tomorrow. I am delighted that
the Barb Service is returning to TNS.”
TNS’
Media Research global client support director John Gill said,
“Over the past six years we have maintained our commitment
to the UK broadcast industry with our successful Babr Bureau
operation, the innovative SkyView panel, and the joint Rajar
Barb PPM panel. We are now delighted to be asked to renew
our association with Barb’s key audience measurement
service.”
The
panel will be recruited by TNS’s Capi field force.
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