Technical error delays Nielsen ratings

US-- Nielsen has been forced to delay the release its overnight TV ratings data after encountering a “server issue” last Saturday.

The firm said this caused data collection from its panel of homes to be delayed for several hours while it tried to resolve the problem.

Ratings for Sunday were eventually released yesterday and figures for Monday and Tuesday are due to be released today. Nielsen said it will have caught up with the backlog by the end of the week.

A spokeswoman for the company said: “We realise the inconvenience this causes our clients, especially during this time of year [when TV networks choose which shows to renew for their autumn programming lineup], but our first priority is to make sure the ratings are accurate. In fact, part of the delay is due to our quality checks.”

Peter Seymour, who is responsible for research for the Walt Disney Company, told the New York Times it was “incredibly difficult for all of us to run our businesses if the measurement systems aren't timely and accurate”.

It is the second time in seven days that Nielsen's ratings have been in the spotlight after the firm was hit with a lawsuit from Sunbeam Television, which claimed that the ratings giant was an illegal monopoly providing broadcasters with “defective” ratings. Nielsen said the case was “utterly without merit”.

Author: James Verrinder