Indiantelevision.com Team

(26 December 2007 2:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Broadcasters Audience Research Board (BARB) has announced that the global market insight and information group TNS has won two major contracts for six years to measure UK TV audiences starting in 2010.

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, says a release.

AGB Nielsen holds the current contract till 31 December 2009. The full switchover to the new service will take place in January 2010.

TNS will provide BARB with a fixed TV-meter system using TNS 5000 Series Modular PeopleMeter.

"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," commented TNS chief executive David Lowden

TNS Media Research provides Internet, TV and radio audience measurement worldwide. The technology of this international operation supports audience services in over 30 countries, including Canada, China, Russia, Spain, the UK and the US. TNS has provided 52,000 units of the 5000 Series Modular PeopleMeter in 30,000 homes in 15 countries.