Nielsen to Scrap Hispanic Local TV Panels

From November, Nielsen will produce all US local ratings for Hispanic TV programming using the same ratings panels used for English language stations.

The October 2011 measurement will be the last to use panels from a separate Nielsen Hispanic Station Index (NHSI) to measure how Hispanic audiences watch local TV, completing a transition Nielsen started in 2007.

The firm explained its preference for a single source of television ratings in a notice sent to clients: 'We believe using a single underlying currency sample that allows reporting of both general and Hispanic markets will afford additional convenience, ease of use and flexibility to all client constituencies, both buyers and sellers.'

Web site: www.nielsen.com .