• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, July 15, 2009

Like most American enterprises, the economy is weighing heavily on media research giant Nielsen Co. And so it seems that it is weighing on the minds of Nielsen's national clients. In preparation for a series of national client meeting next week in New York and Los Angeles, Nielsen Co. Tuesday unveiled an agenda focusing on some macro and micro economic issues.

The half-day events, which are scheduled for July 20th in New York, and July 21st in Los Angeles, kick off with a morning session entitled, "Nielsen Economic Advisor: What You Need to Know," which will examine how a "consumer-driven recession" is affecting retail sales, and how marketers can leverage opportunities and "mitigate risks."

That session will be followed by one examining the micro effects the economy is having on "Television Viewing and TV Related Purchases."

"With the recession reaching 19 months, and continuing, how have television viewers responded," the Nieslen agenda reads. "What can the Nielsen samples tell us about the impact of the economy on other changes in panelists' lifestyles? How can we use all of this information to better execute in a tough media environment?"

Historically, mass entertainment-based media such as television have benefited from economic downturns, as fiscally-minded consumers turned to inexpensive forms of entertainment.

The rest of the Nielsen agenda deals with secular media issues, especially the convergence of TV and online media, including and update on "Streaming's Impact on TV Viewership," and one on "Nielsen's TV and PC Test and Overview of 'The Extended Screen'."

The streaming update follows one Nielsen provided in May examining the most recent trends of the affect online streaming of TV programming is having on the way people watch programming on television.

The "TV/PC" overview will disclose the latest results from Nielsen's integration of Internet audience measurement in its national TV ratings panel, as well as some background on how the so-called "extended screen" model is impacting the way TV programming is being made available via the Web.

The final session of the day will provide an update on the broadcast industry's transition to digital spectrum last month.