TAM Ireland Hires RSMB to Audit Nielsen Data

TV ratings body TAM Ireland has brought in RSMB TV Research to carry out an independent audit on recent audience figures, following complaints about those supplied by Nielsen.

RSMB - which is jointly owned by WPP's Kantar Media and French agency Havas - has been commissioned to audit figures for the 25-34 age group, following concerns raised by a number of TV networks about inconsistencies in the data.

Last June, TAM Ireland announced it would be expanding the size of its television audience measurement panel, while introducing the ability to track time shifted viewing (TSV). The programme is being carried out by Nielsen, which was re-appointed for a five year term following a tendering process in 2008.

According to the Irish Mail on Sunday, news channel RTé has been using 'artificially inflated viewing figures' for broadcaster Charlie Bird's documentary charting his trip to the South Pole. RTé confirmed that the official viewing figures had been supplied by TAM Ireland/Nielsen, which the firm described as a 'perfectly valid' measure.

RSMB TV Research's audit is expected to be completed in September.

Web sites: www.tamireland.ie , www.rsmb.co.uk and www.nielsen.com .