| Nielsen has now attempted to mellow the growing criticism
by promising to keep its old measurement system of hand-written diaries
and older electronic gauges running for another three months in addition
to its new "people meter" system, which it will launch Thursday.
But even that move has not gone down well with Hispanic groups
such as the Hispanic broadcaster Univision Communications Inc. which
has panned the compromise as a confusing move that would still exaggerate
English-language viewing.
"Running both systems will confuse advertisers and the public,
waste time and money with duplicative and conflicting data, and
debase the value of Nielsen research," observed a statement
from the broadcaster.
The point critics have been making is that people meters undercount
minority audiences, cutting ratings for minority-focused shows.
The old system of measuring detailed local viewer habits through
pen-and-paper diaries was used during the key "sweeps"
periods of ratings races and a few other times in major markets.
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