Nielson admits 7 month screw up

[scotpens]

I was chosen by Arbitron to be on their media rating panel for about 30 months. All I had to do was carry a small meter around with me (usually in my pocket or clipped to my belt) and plug the meter into a recharger/transmitter before I went to bed. No logging in, no card swiping. The only requirement is that you can't use headphones or earbuds because the Arbitron meter works by detecting sound signatures.

And they pay you a small amount each month (about $15-$20, plus a $50 bonus at the end of a 12-month period). It's like getting money for nothing.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

The fundamental problem with the Neilsen system, of course, is that people who are willing to be tracked in that manner is not a random sampling of TV viewers. This naturally biases the figures higher for some types of shows and lower for others.

 

[Ryan8bit]

I was chosen by Arbitron to be on their media rating panel for about 30 months. All I had to do was carry a small meter around with me (usually in my pocket or clipped to my belt) and plug the meter into a recharger/transmitter before I went to bed. No logging in, no card swiping. The only requirement is that you can't use headphones or earbuds because the Arbitron meter works by detecting sound signatures.

And they pay you a small amount each month (about $15-$20, plus a $50 bonus at the end of a 12-month period). It's like getting money for nothing.

Yeah, I did that too, although I thought it was a scam at first. At the time, all I watched was Sarah Connor Chronicles (and I didn't really listen to the radio), so I doubt whatever they got from me was all that significant.

The fundamental problem with the Neilsen system, of course, is that people who are willing to be tracked in that manner is not a random sampling of TV viewers. This naturally biases the figures higher for some types of shows and lower for others.

But might there be a correlation between people willing to act based on ads, and people willing to participate in a survey? Really, that's all the Nielsen's stuff is about. It's not a popularity contest, it's fuel for advertising dollars.