Nielsen Integrates Hispanic TV Ratings Into National Sample

Nielsen has announced plans to integrate and report the television viewing habits of Hispanic households and individuals as part of its general TV marketplace ratings.

Since 1992, Hispanic TV viewers have been measured separately from the rest of the US population in the Nielsen Hispanic Television Index (NHTI). From September, all networks and demographics will only be available as part of the Nielsen Television Index (NTI), and the firm believes that the integration will lead to more credible data and greater acceptance among media buyers and advertisers.

The firm's decision to begin reporting Hispanic and Spanish-language market breaks in its total sample will enable all TV viewing data to be analysed on the basis of Hispanic and Spanish-language audience composition, not just on Hispanic television. To ensure that sufficient 18 to 24-year olds and bilingual respondents are included, Nielsen is currently looking at ways to weight the sample.

Effective with the 2007-08 TV season, the company will begin reporting data based on the language spoken by individuals within a household, and not simply the language preferred by the head of the household.

The firm said in a client communication that analysis of the data will still be subjective, saying that interpretation of language preferences may require certain assumptions. 'Language is a personal characteristic. Reporting language only at the household level can be confusing.'

In May, Nielsen expanded its existing Los Angeles-based Homescan Hispanic Panel from 1,500 to 2,500 households ( www.mrweb.com/drno/news6817.htm ). The firm has recently hired Hispanic marketing agency Lopez Negrete to help raise awareness of its measurement services and technology with the Latino communities in Houston, including among city council members, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and local colleges. Nielsen is online at: www.nielsen.com

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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