LARGE Nielsen Jumps
TV stations might be ecstatic that the Nielsen ratings have found many many more 18-24 and 18-34 year-olds watching TV in urban centers, thanks to their new people meter systems, which rely more on technology than human beings keeping logs. The findings go counter to the usual logic that folks say they watch more than they do, which is fine — I’ll take more scientific measurement any day.
But am I the only one who finds the jumps startlingly large? According to AdAge: In Washington, D.C., the 18-to-34 viewership increase was 83%; Philadelphia, 56%; San Francisco, 55%; New York, 24%; Chicago, 21%; and in Los Angeles, 10%.
83 percent, 56 percent, 55 percent jumps when switching to the new technology? What does that say about accuracy of Nielsen’s diary-keeping system? There’s some discussion about whether this is a jump in viewership or a change due to the new measurement techniques. I vote for the former (what’s the chance 83% more 18-34 year-olds are watching in DC or 55% more in SF or Philly?)