Advertisers threaten pull-out as Indian TV stations switch to monthly ratings
The broadcasters, including Multi Screen Media and New Delhi Television, are among those who threatened to withdraw from the country’s TV ratings system, operated by TAM Media Research, in a dispute over the accuracy of reported audience numbers.
According to a Live Mint report last week, the eight broadcasters had negotiated a change to TAM’s data release practices – switching from weekly reports of audience share to monthly reports of absolute viewer numbers.
However, according to the Business Standard, advertisers have written to the broadcasters objecting to the change and threatening to cancel their ads if the broadcasters don’t agree to revert back to weekly ratings releases.
Indian Society of Advertisers media chairman and Hindustan Unilever executive director Hemant Bakshi said: “What we have asked for is that we have had a system in India which has been in practice for the past 14 years. If at all we are making any change, it should not be done unilaterally, but in discussion with all stakeholders in the industry. Until we can be sure of the measurement system, we would like to continue with the old system of weekly ratings.”
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1 Comment
Anon
12 years ago
At the end of the day except for a few big spenders (the clients) very few people walk the talk in India. Research provides incredible value and needs to be seen as such. And IMHO the media industry in India particularly has done bollocks. I think they should have collectively put together a fund for supporting the research measurement system and met the clients midway. At a reasonable price increase I think everyone would be happy to get better granularity and reliability. Those benefiting the most would have been the media houses - much more than the clients!!! I also think the onus is on the media teams and the clients as the research industry is fairly stifled in terms of both talent as well as financial resources. Unless they are paid fairly for the work they produce it doesn't look like the industry will survive and keep up. I am not sure if the radio measurement system has kicked off yet even though it would have been key to establish the fledgeling FM radios industry. And that also speaks to how the media industry values 'investments' vs. expenses. Anyone familiar with how the media houses spend on sales parties as well as their launch celebrations of their 'properties' would find it questionable that they are not willing to even consider pitching a little more for better research. If a fund was created where each media house pitched in for the cost of one of such parties in a year, it would have helped build a better integrated measurement system. ... if only!
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