Barb switches back to TNS for TV panel

UK-- TNS has won back the contracts to run TV ratings body Barb's viewer panel.

The organisation, which is owned by the UK's main broadcasters and the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, has chosen TNS to set up and operate a new meter-based panel of 5,100 UK homes, under two of four six-year contracts announced today.

RSMB held on to its contract for survey design and quality control, while Ipsos Mori also kept its contract, surveying the characteristics of the TV viewing public.

TNS previously ran the Barb panel until it was taken over by AGB Nielsen (formerly ATR UK) in 2002. The new panel will be recruited next year and trialled alongside the existing panel in 2009 before going live in 2010.

The new system will be able to measure time-shifted and on-demand content viewed on TV sets. Barb's chief executive Bjarne Thelin said the metering system, based on TNS's 5000 Series PeopleMeter, has potential to incorporate new techniques, and “keep pace with a rapidly changing industry”.

Richard Marks, global director of research at TNS Media Research, said: “TNS's Barb solution meets the audience measurement needs of today and charts a stable path to tomorrow.”

Developments being considered include measuring viewing via PCs using either fixed or software-based meters, and measuring out-of-home viewing using the Portable People Meter system developed by Arbitron, and licensed by TNS outside the US.

Author: Robert Bain

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