June 25, 2014
A recent post to the Paragon blog notes that the recent Nielsen PPM ratings snafu in Los Angeles presents broadcasters with an obvious opening to talk about the measurement system’s shortcomings when it comes to sample size:
“Our frustration with the PPM sample springs from the fact that it’s nearly impossible to identify a target audience from month-to-month. Those of us who dive under the hood observe significant bounces from month-to-month among station ratings.
Remember Arbitron used to warn about putting too much importance in their monthly ratings. Now, monthly ratings are the standard currency. In PPM, Share ratings widely vacillate from month to month given the volatility that PPM panelists reflect in their time spent listening.
We’ve seen one, two, or three panelists make a tremendous difference in audience composition and the overall Share ratings, especially as you narrow in on a target demo and/or a given day part.”
Read the full post HERE.
