A further salvo in the battle over Local People Meters: Nielsen Media Research announced yesterday that the methodology has been endorsed by the Rev. Jesse Jackson, founder and president of the Rainbow / PUSH Coalition and arguably the USA's best known politician of color (at least until Don King's convention performance last week).
The Rev. Jackson said in an open letter to the members of the Coalition ( www.rainbowpush.org ) that LPMs are a more accurate way to measure the television viewing patterns of audiences in local markets around the country, and 'a step in the right direction'.'People Meter measurements prove that audiences of color - like other viewers - are shifting their allegiances from big broadcast channels like News Corp's Fox Television, to smaller channels and networks' wrote Jackson, citing support from 'our media leaders Bob Johnson of BET, Cathy Hughes of Radio One, and Johnathan Rodgers of TV-One... We all want to be counted, but the count must be as fair and accurate and inclusive, and as scientifically accurate as possible'.
The letter points out that where Nielsen has rolled out LPMs in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago, it 'has substantially increased the number of African American and Latino families who are measured in these local markets'.
Muscling in on King's own territory, the Rev. Jackson compares the switch to LPMs to the introduction of punch count technology in boxing contests, which 'accurately and scientifically counts the number of punches landed' in a boxing match, replacing a system where a ''winner' is announced who has been beaten and battered for 10 rounds ... because the judges kept their own personal, and highly unscientific, score cards'.
Susan D. Whiting, President and CEO of Nielsen Media Research, welcomed the endorsement: 'It means a great deal to us that Rev. Jackson is standing up for what is right and fair'.
Further detail including the full text of the letter can be found in the News section of NMR's site at www.nielsenmedia.com
Previous articles on this topic in DRNO:
Nielsen: Keep Politics Out of Ratings - 16/7/04
Nielsen Commissions Study of Study of Survey - 12/5/04
Nielsen Boosts Ethnic Samples for People Meter - 29/4/04
Nielsen Postpones People Meter Launch - 16/4/04
Audience Measurement Under Fire - 23/3/04
