Nielsen won't join nation's first TV audience ratings-meter search
LEADING MEDIA research firm Nielsen (Thailand) will not join the country's first selection of a TV audience rating meter, according to the Media Agency Association of Thailand.
Wannee Ruttanaphon, chairwoman of the MAAT and head of its Media Research Bureau (MRB), said yesterday that only three agencies – German-based GfK, UK-based Kantar Media and Japan-based Video Research International – had expressed an interest and submitted their applications by the deadline last Friday.
The association had invited Nielsen (Thailand) but there was no response from the company, she said.
Referring to a recent conversation with the research company, she said the Bangkok office was waiting for approval from its head office in New York. However, Nielsen (Thailand) has been the sole provider of TV ratings for more than two decades.
The selection is overseen by the MRB, which consists of representatives from the MAAT, Digital TV Club and the Cable and Satellite TV Association.
This was a result from the industry consensus after her association conducted a series of roadshows to discuss the concept with key industry players such as the broadcasting regulator, local stations and advertisers.
Yesterday, the three candidates attended an MRB briefing on how to present their proposals to the MRB’s panel from May 25-26.
The score for each candidate would be based 20 per cent on the company’s experience in media surveys, 30 per cent on its proposed price, 40 per cent on the model for TV audience measurement and 10 per cent on software design.
The winner is expected to be named in June and endorsed by the MRB as the official multi-platform audience measurement provider. The contract will be for five years with an option to extend.
The establishment surveys and samplers would be deployed from July until June next year.
After that, TV ratings will begin under the support of CESP, a French independent auditor. All data from this measurement will be owned by the MRB. Only MRB sponsors will get the full data.
As a result of the change in the media landscape, viewing behaviour has also been revolutionised from one main screen to multiple screens.
The new currency in the Bt80-billion TV broadcasting industry would reflect accurate data from multiple platforms such as television sets, mobile phones, tablets and laptops.
The MRB was developed along the same idea of the Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board in the United Kingdom, the Bureau of Broadcast Measurement (now known as Numeris) in Canada, OzTAM in Australia and Stichting KijkOnderzoek in the Netherlands, Wannee said.
