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
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
