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The change involves adopting locally the so-called people meters
Nielsen has used since 1986 to gather national ratings data. The
people meters would replace the paper diaries Nielsen has provided
to viewers in local markets since 1950, as well as set-top boxes
that are not as technically sophisticated.
A report in the New York Times stated that Nielsen intends to switch
New York, Chicago and Los Angeles to local people meters as part
of plans to have all the 10 largest local markets using them by
next year. Boston, shifted to people meters in 2002.
Leading New York lawmakers have over the past few days sent letters
to Nielsen Media Research president and CEO Susan Whiting. The message
is to ask Nielsen to stop undercounting minority viewers in New
York City through the proposed new system. One letter reads thus
"We are deeply concerned that while Nielsen Media Research has acknowledged
errors in its tracking of minority viewership in New York City the
company has not taken action to examine and correct its flaws. We
have worked too long and too hard to try to create a diversity of
voices in the media to see it all vanish due to one company's stubbornness."
Another letter stated, "If this flawed technology goes forward
and minority viewers are systematically undercounted, the consequences
could be severe. Programming featuring minority entertainers could
lose significant audience share and be cancelled. Advertisers will
no longer see a need to target their messages to minority consumers.
The economic, social and cultural impact could be enormous."
Now the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People
and Congress members including Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton have
lent their weight to the protests. Nielsen meanwhile has defended
the move stating that the number of households sampled with African-American
and Hispanic viewers would actually increase under the proposed
changes.
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