Nielsen to import ratings equipment and software
Nielsen (Thailand) will spend at least Bt30 million on imported equipment and advanced software to conduct ratings surveys for digital terrestrial TV channels.
Sinthu Peatrarut, managing director for media client leadership, said last week that the company prepared a plan to measure TV ratings in this new cutting-edge broadcasting technology after the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission finalised its roadmap of migration from analogue to digital late last year.
He made the remark on the "Business Talk Show" of Krungthep Turakij TV.
The new hardware will include database servers and related tools and software that work with digital video broadcasting-second generation receivers. The firmware will be used to up-|grade the meters in sample households.
The company will also recruit staff for this new TV broadcasting platform on top of analogue terrestrial, satellite and cable TV.
The New York head office will assign a team of specialists experienced in the digital-switchover to train staff here during the transition.
The local office would discuss with MCOT, the operator of Modernine TV, and the Army, |the operator of Channel 5, about joining their trial of digital |terrestrial TV broadcasts. The company would like to test its new firmware with both broadcasters.
Once digital TV set-top boxes and integrated digital terrestrial TV sets are deployed throughout the country, Nielsen will apply this new TV ratings measurement through its National Establishment Survey.
Nielsen will be able to capture and monitor each TV programme and each commercial spot for each digital TV channel. The in-depth data obtained would be used to analyse viewer behaviour for each TV programme or even each spot.
Under the current method, the company can measure ratings for TV schedules and prime and non-prime time slots at each channel.
Wannee Ruttanaphon, president of the Media Agency Association of Thailand, told the same TV programme that even though TV rating measurement was fully implemented in assigned areas under digital TV coverage, broadcasters could not enjoy high TV popularity ratings and earn high advertising income unless they can deliver TV contents with high quality.
"Content is always king, no matter which media platforms carry it," he said.
Sinthu said that although new and old alternative media such as the Internet, social networks, out-of-home entertainment and cinemas were on the rise, TV was still in the forefront of media platforms that advertisers relied on and that had a great impact on customers.
