CNBC to Stop Using Nielsen for Ratings

Financial news network CNBC will no longer rely on TV ratings specialist Nielsen to measure its daytime audience, beginning in 2015. Instead, it has retained marketing and research firm Cogent Reports for the task.

For years CNBC and its parent company, Comcast’s NBCUniversal, have complained that Nielsen underreports the size and wealth of its audience by failing to track “out of home” viewing in places such as offices and airports. CNBC’s switch to Cogent is the latest barb for Nielsen, which has faced criticism from media companies that it has been slow to adapt its traditional ratings to changing media consumption habits. While many media companies say they are frustrated with Nielsen, CNBC is the first network to opt out of its ratings.