• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, September 7, 2010

Jeff Boehme, who was overseeing Nielsen's entrée into the set-top-box data arena, has moved to competitor Kantar Media as North American Chief Research Officer, a role where he will look to move the ball forward in the STB space.

His duties include oversight of Kantar's offerings in TV, Internet and radio measurement. But Kantar has also tried to stake turf as the go-to provider of STB data through a service that gathers ratings information from boxes operated by DirecTV. Bolstering that, DirectView service will be on Boehme's agenda, as well as finding new STB business opportunities.

George Shababb, president of Kantar Media Audiences, stated that in addition to ratings generation, STBs offer the potential to upgrade addressable and interactive advertising. He added that Boehme is an industry thought-leader who can help Kantar become a pacesetter, staying "at the forefront of strategic ... insights."

As senior vice president, advanced TV at Nielsen, Boehme was involved with a trial looking to use STB data to offer upgraded local ratings. But Nielsen's position on STB data could have Boehme doing some immediate tap-dancing as he evangelizes for Kantar's DirectView system.

Nielsen believes a "hybrid" model using STB data and its traditional panels is more effective because it can offer demo breakdowns as well as marketwide ratings, along with other advantages. DirectView is a national service, but does not provide some of the granular audience breakdowns that Nielsen is seeking.

Boehme, who joined Nielsen in March 2007, was a liaison to industry organizations, such as the emerging Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement and the Advertising Research Foundation.

Before Nielsen, Boehme spent 15 years at spot-cable sales firm National Cable Communications, rising to become senior vice president of research and marketing.