Television: history, impact, and cultural significance

¶ … television media research of Nielsen, Scarborough, & Arbitron

This is an essay comparing the pros and cons of television media research. Discussed are Nielsen, Scarborough, and Arbitron research. Two sources are used. APA.

Television Research

Scarborough Research is a leader in consumer and media research tools.

It provides a syndicated research service on a local, regional and national level to newspapers, television and radio stations, cable systems, outdoor media, Internet companies, advertisers, agencies and sports teams and leagues. It conducts on-going studies in the top seventy-five markets and interviews over 200,000 adults annually (http://www.scarborough.com/scarb2002/press/pr_partner.htm).Itdelivers twice yearly updates of its local market reports to a diverse client base that spans all major media, advertisers and their agencies. These reports examine a variety of characteristics including online and offline consumer habits, local consumer shopping patterns, traditional and online media usage, demographics and lifestyle activities. Scarborough Research is a partnership between VNU Marketing Information and The Abritron Company (http://www.scarborough.com/scarb2002/press/pr_partner.htm).

Nielsen Media Research is the leading provider of television audience measurement and related services in the United States" (http://www.scarborough.com/scarb2002/press/pr_partner.htm).ItsNational People Meter Service provides audience estimates for all national program sources. This includes broadcast networks, cable networks, Spanish language television, and national syndicators. "Local rating services estimate audiences for each of 210 television markets in the U.S., including electronic metered service in 53 markets" (http://www.scarborough.com/scarb2002/press/pr_partner.htm).Nielsenalso provides competitive advertising intelligence information. It is a subsidiary of VNU, one of the world's leading media and information companies (http://www.scarborough.com/scarb2002/press/pr_partner.htm).

In January 2002, the Scarborugh television sales and training divisions became part of the local television business unit of Nielsen Media Research, called Nielsen Station Index, NSI. The partnership offers television stations a combined qualitative and quantitative analytical service provider with one-stop shopping and training for the station's sales, marketing and promotional activity, by offering the multi-media and consumer measures of Scarborough along with the NSI ratings service.

This joint endeavor provides television stations with a multi-dimensional profile of their viewers with a single resource. The combined services offer stations the opportunity to compete much more effectively for advertising dollars (http://www.scarborough.com/scarb2002/press/pr_partner.htm).