Nielsen 'Acknowledges' Sampling Problem in NE USA

In the US, Massachusetts-based station Channel 5 has taken the unusual step of writing to its advertisers to blame Nielsen for its 'puzzling ratings decline' in recent months. Reports suggest Nielsen has acknowledged a problem with sampling and is at work to redress it.

According to www.bostonherald.com , WCVB's General Sales Manager Andy Hoffman told clients the ratings giant appeared to sample 'too many young people and too many New Hampshire residents', writing: 'The Massachusetts segment of the DMA (designated market area) has become under-sampled while the New Hampshire segment has become over-sampled'.

Over-representation of households with viewers under 35, and those relying solely on broadband for their TV, would tend to boost numbers from New Hampshire, the station explains, the latter lowering audience figures for WCVB, and the former exaggerating the overall use of online sources of news and entertainment.

Program Director Betsy Braun, who works for stations in both states, says the problem has 'affected all the stations in the market', in some cases producing or contributing to 'double-digit declines in percentages'. According to the Boston Herald's sources, Nielsen has acknowledged the existence of a problem in a letter to Channel 5, and assigned a 'swat team' to deal with the issue as soon as possible.