• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, June 2, 2005

Succumbing to mounting pressure from clients, politicians, advocacy groups, and an important industry watchdog, Nielsen Media Research Wednesday announced plans to delay the launch of its local people meter system in the nation's capital and a second major market.

Nielsen said the new meters, which were set to launch in Washington, DC, and a second major market, Philadelphia, today, will now become operational on June 30. Nielsen acknowledged that the delay was due to concerns from "many clients," as well as the Media Rating Council, that there has not been sufficient testing of the new meters to make comparisons with data from its existing meter/diary systems in those markets.

The TV ratings giant said the delay would allow for the comparison of demographic data from May to be factored in to the equation.