Commentary

Set-Top-Box Lexicon: The DVR Begets C3 Ratings

CIMM is taking a pro-active role in advancing new media nomenclature and processes with both its Lexicon(terms and definitions associated with Set-Top Box data measurement) and the soon to be released Asset Identification Primer (glossary of asset identification terms). These documents form the basis of the Word-A-Week column which offers a common language for Set-Top Box nomenclature that can expedite the roll-out of the data for its many industry applications

The advent of the DVR (The PVR and DVR) is credited not only with increasing the ways a viewer can access and view content. It has also spawned new measurement metrics that are based on when a piece of content is viewed, whether the playback occurs within the same broadcast day as the live airing, a day later, a week later and up to as much as two weeks later. What is the optimum and fairest playback length of time for a rating? That is still under discussion, but the industry standard of the acceptable outlying time frame is playback three days hence.

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The introduction of the C3 rating and its immediate inclusion into the currency without accreditation is somewhat controversial and is still viewed among some as a stop gap measurement towards full individual commercial ratings. Of course that would require the use of second by second viewing / tuning data, attainable through STB data.

In honor of the launch of upfront this week, we endeavor to define the C3 rating

C3 Rating

CIMM DEFINITION : A term used to represent the average of a live rating for a (national) commercial minute and up to three days of DVR playback viewing.

2 : The average commercial minute rating for live programming plus three days of DVR playback. (Source: Nielsen)

3 : The average commercial second rating including live tuning to a  program plus 75 hours of DVR playback. (Source: TRA)

Please refer to the CIMM Lexicon online at http://www.cimm-us.org/lexicon.htm for additional information on these and other terms.

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