Agencies Baffled By People Meter's Kids Rating Boost

Higher kids' TV usage in some local people meter markets has media agency executives scratching their heads. In four markets--Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Dallas, and Detroit--February 2006 viewing levels among children ages 2-11 were 26 percent to 33 percent higher than during the February 2005 sweeps, when those markets had either older "set meters" and diary systems.

"It may be that moms didn't record as much viewing in diaries; maybe they don't think their kids are watching TV," said Debbie Solomon, senior partner, group research director of Mindshare USA. "Maybe it's [certain] programs they don't expect their kids to watch."

Prime-time viewing grew the most--not daytime or early morning viewing, where presumably most children's viewing resides, since that's where children's programs run. For instance, in Dallas, prime-time viewing is up 59 percent.

"Maybe they were watching the Olympics," jokes Brad Adgate, senior vice president and corporate media director for Horizon Media.

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But seriously, Adgate wondered if there might be some problems with the Nielsen data, considering that when the National People Meters were instituted in 1987, kids' TV usage went down 20 percent or more.

"It's kind of alarming--that's a pretty wide swing," he said. "Twenty years ago, viewing went in the other direction."

Times have changed for kids and their TV viewing since then. Adgate notes that 60 percent of kids ages 6-11 have a TV in their rooms--that could contribute to higher usage. And kids ages 6-11 are more familiar with the use of entertainment technology--including a TV remote-looking LPM device--than kids of the same age of an earlier generation.

TV media sellers have always worried that kids' viewing has been underreported--especially for children ages 2-5--where mothers are predominantly responsible for recording their viewing, mostly in hand-written diaries.

LPM remote control-devices have their own issues. For those younger kids, mothers still need to punch remote control buttons when their children sit down for TV viewing.

Nielsen notes that in early afternoon time periods from noon to 4 p.m. (noon to 3 p.m. in Dallas, in the Central time zone) three markets show major increases, including a 147 percent hike in Dallas and a 102 percent gain in Philadelphia.

The early morning time period showed less gains, with three markets increasing, and one--Detroit--slipping 6 percent.

Local people meters are currently in ten markets. In July, Atlanta will be added.

There has been much criticism of LPMs since their introduction, specifically from TV companies such as Tribune Broadcasting and the Fox network, believing that ethnic audiences are undercounted.

Said Adgate: "Part of this could be Nielsen appeasing TV executives that LPMs can give you higher numbers."

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