People meter offers greater scope to research TV habits

The people meter system for TV ratings is changing to account for people time-shifting viewing using PVRs like MySky. Photo / Brett Phibbs

The television industry has pressed "go" for AGB Nielsen to provide a new method of assessing how many people are watching shows.

The Universal Television Audience Measurement will show how personal video recorders - like MySky My Freeview and TiVo - are changing viewing habits.

Television dominates national advertising campaigns and viewing habits are already heavily researched. But fragmentation from new channels and developments like time-shifting mean advertisers are demanding more.

The survey will make interesting viewing for ad agencies who pump about half a billion dollars each year into buying TV advertising space.

But the Unitam survey will not answer one of the questions facing ad agencies as they buy heavily weighted campaigns on TV - are their ads actually being watched?

In the past there was a debate whether people went channel surfing or left the room during ad breaks.

Now PVRs allow easy fast-forwarding through ad breaks in recorded programming and through ad breaks.

Unitam devices are expected to be in 20 per cent of homes when the system starts next year. The AGB Nielsen people meter ratings panel will be increased from 500 to 600 households.

TV bosses acknowledge that PVRs are changing viewing habits.

Content will become more disposable and the networks acknowledge there will be more fast-forwarding through dull spots in recorded programming. That applies to both dull spots in recorded programmes and fast-forwarding through ad breaks.

Television networks will be able to rest easy. The Unitam system will not allow advertisers to check what ad breaks are being zapped by PVR users.

Other countries have a system where viewing habits for ratings survey households provide minute-by-minute ratings.

But here the networks, which fund about two-thirds of the cost for ratings, have limited surveys to cover 15-minute chunks of programming. So it is difficult to break down the viewership during ad breaks.

Advertising consultant Martin Gillman welcomed the improved research but criticised networks for resisting the shift to minute-by-minute ratings. The networks were "paranoid" that it would reveal the habit of people avoiding ads.

The issue is expected to be heightened when PVRs become entrenched in New Zealand.

After two years we are at 20 per cent, with some TV manufacturers including PVRs with new sets.

But TV networks are confident that New Zealand ad agencies will make ads that people do not want to zap.

Watching viewers:

* The people meter system for TV ratings is changing to account for people time-shifting viewing using PVRs like MySky and My Freeview.

* The new system will exclude time when people are fast-forwarding through dull bits of recorded programming.

* It will not allow advertisers to see if viewers are fast-forwarding through their ads.