Nielsen updated clients on the plan as part of an overall status report on the A2/M2 initiative, and said that results from a small test sample of the so-called "convergence panel" indicate that a significant number of respondents have refused to add Internet measurement due to concerns about their privacy.

"Consumers generally recognize that the information on their computers, particularly financial data, is more personal than what they watch on TV," Nielsen said, citing concerns that the new meters might also impact the performance of their computers as a secondary reason.

Despite these concerns, Nielsen is contemplating a plan that would make Internet measurement mandatory in its TV ratings households, though it plans to conduct further research, including a test utilizing CBS' Television City research facility, before it makes that decision.

Consumer concerns aside, Nielsen executives say there is a fair amount of uncertainty among its clients about the impact that adding Internet measurement could have on its core TV audience measurement, and it plans further research on how such measurement affects compliance with its people meter ratings system.

"We will be able to report key metrics like in-tab rates and tuning without viewing, and compare the performance of these homes before and after Internet measurement was added," Nielsen said in the update.

Among the research options it is considering, is a test of Internet measurement in a "limited number" of live panel homes this fall, something many researchers consider verboten, but which Nielsen said might greatly accelerate the development of a convergence panel.

In order to provide "usable data" in time for next year's 2008-09 upfront TV sales season, Nielsen said it is also exploring the possibility of building a new "non-currency" panel of 1,000 homes by April 2008. This sample would be derived from existing Nielsen households that leave its ratings samples. Nielsen has used a similar approach to build its so-called "engagement" research sample.

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