News Broadcasting
Nielsen peoplemeters to serve top 10 US TV markets
NEW YORK: With strong backing from key broadcasting and cable clients, Nielsen Media Research has announced a rollout schedule for bringing continuous, overnight demographic ratings into the top 10 television markets in the US.
Nielsen has said it will launch electronic people meter ratings service in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and San Francisco next year. The people meter service will be expanded to include Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Detroit and Dallas-Ft. Worth in 2005, and Atlanta the following year.
NBC, ABC, Comcast, Time Warner Cable in New York and Los Angeles and Adlink in Los Angeles have backed Nielsen for the local People Meter service.
An official release informs that the Nielsen Peoplemeter will replace the current meter-diary measurement system in the top 10 markets. This is expected to have a major impact on every aspect of the television business. Local Peoplemeters will enable media executives to buy and sell commercial time and make programming, scheduling and promotional decisions continuously, instead of waiting for sweeps months for the demographic ratings the release states.
The top 10 television markets include nearly 32 million TV households, or 30 per cent of all US television households. More than $8 billion is spent just on local television advertising in the top 10 markets. At the same time, Nielsen Media Research intends to nearly double the size of the national people meter sample over the next four years. The national peoplemeter sample produces the ratings that are the currency for all broadcast and cable networks and national syndication sales.
NBC will support Nielsen Peoplemeter service in its owned-station markets: Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. ABC has agreed to support Nielsen People Meter service for its owned television stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and San Francisco.
The US’ largest cable television service Comcast will support the service in all of the top 10 markets, including Boston where it already subscribes to the service.
In addition Nielsen is expanding the size of its National Peoplemeter Sample. The present national sample of approximately 5,000 households will grow to nearly 10,000 households when the expansion is completed in 2006. As part of the sample expansion plan, when local Peoplemeter service is introduced into each of the top 10 markets, Nielsen will include these homes, on a weighted basis, into the National Sample.
Ratings from the Nielsen Peoplemeter are used as the currency for more than $30 billion in national annual advertising expenditures in the US. The Nielsen Peoplemeter was introduced into the US in 1987 to measure national viewership for broadcast and cable networks and well as nationally syndicated television programmes.
The Top 10 US Television Markets
Rank Market TV Homes per cent covered LPM Date
1 New York 7,282,320 6.829 2004
2 Los Angeles 5,318,040 4.987 2004
3 Chicaog 3,351,330 3.143 2004
4 Philadelphia 2,830,470 2.654 2005
5 San Fancisco 2,436,220 2.284 2004
6 Boston 2,353,500 2.207 2002
7 Dallas-Ft Worth 2,195,540 2.059 2005
8 Washington, DC 2,169,230 2.034 2005
9 Atlanta 1,971,180 1.848 2006
10 Detroit 1,899,910 1.782 2005
Total 31,807,740 29.827
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Fury in the Gulf conclave on West Asia crisis
Three-hour summit to unpack geopolitical fallout and impact on India
MUMBAI: CNN-News18 is set to host a special three-hour broadcast, Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave, on April 7, aiming to decode the escalating West Asia crisis and its far-reaching implications for India.
Scheduled from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the conclave comes at a time when tensions between Iran and the United States are reshaping global geopolitics and triggering economic uncertainty. With India’s deep energy ties, trade links and large diaspora in the Gulf, the developments carry significant domestic relevance.
Built around the theme ‘Conflict, Consequences, and The Future,’ the programme will feature six curated sessions combining one-on-one interviews and panel discussions. The focus is to cut through the clutter and offer viewers a clearer understanding of the fast-evolving situation.
Key sessions include ‘Diplomacy in Times of War’ featuring Shashi Tharoor, and ‘World After the Iran Conflict’ with voices such as Ram Madhav, Reuven Azar, representatives from the European Union and the Iranian Deputy Envoy. Another session titled ‘Another Dunkirk?’ will bring together K. J. S. Dhillon and Jitin Prasada among others.
CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar said, “In times of war, clarity becomes the most powerful tool. Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave brings together credible voices to address the questions and confusion that arise amid an overwhelming influx of information.”
He added that the initiative is aimed at delivering “facts, perspective, and insight” at a time when misinformation can easily cloud public understanding.
Echoing the sentiment, CNN-News18 CEO– English and business news Smriti Mehra said the conflict marks a defining global moment, with consequences that extend well beyond the region. She noted that the conclave seeks to present the crisis with “depth, nuance and responsibility” so audiences can better grasp its real-world impact.
As geopolitical tensions continue to dominate headlines, the conclave positions itself as an attempt to bring order to the noise, offering viewers a structured, insight-led look at a complex and rapidly shifting global situation.
