Have you ever wondered how TV channels magically find out which programs are most popular with viewers? What is the audience watching these or those programs, films, talk shows? But such information is very important for TV channels, because it determines the cost of airtime and, in general, is an indicator of the rating of the channel itself.
So, there are several ways to research TV ratings.
It should be noted right away that there is an international research group TNS in Russia, which studies public opinion regarding the television market. Basically, research is carried out using a special device - a peoplemeter, which is mounted on a television panel. It looks like a receiver for receiving NTV-plus. A special remote control is attached to it, when you press the buttons of which, the people meter records how long, when and even who of the family members watched this or that channel. Once a day, information is transmitted to the central data collection center, where it is processed and synchronized. Such experiments involve families whose members are over 4 years old, living in cities with a population of more than 100 thousand people. Among them, a preliminary survey is carried out to determine the age group, social status, welfare, etc. In total, approximately 4000 people are involved, in more than 70 cities of Russia. The families participating in the study receive gifts from the TNS group once a year with the help of the people meter.
Other ways to determine popular TV time include the following:
- regular telephone survey;
- a diary panel, when viewers-participants fill out diaries, indicating the programs they have watched;
- the use of a special device located on the belt and recording the audio signal from the TV;
- calculation of the rating by the TV channel equipment according to the jump in the consumed power of the network.
And yet, the peoplemeter is given the leading place in determining the most accurate calculations and obtaining reliable information on the readings of the TV program rating. What causes them to move along the channel's broadcasting grid, as well as the planning of advertising time and material.
