New TV Ratings Will Produce Ad-Price Fight

[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Brooks Barnes brooks.barnes@wsj.com ]
Some $60 billion in annual TV advertising sales ride on the back of Nielsen data. For nearly two decades, Nielsen has measured national television ratings one way: It has estimated how many people sat in front of their TVs when the networks broadcast a show. Now, as more viewers record programs, Nielsen on Monday plans to start tracking them, as well -- setting up a fight between advertisers and networks over the price of commercials. Advertisers argue that this new data only gives networks and channels more fodder to splice together questionable bragging rights. Media buyers say the only number that matters is the "live" ratings data Nielsen has long provided. That's because some big advertisers depend on time-sensitive ads -- movie studios pitching a film opening, for instance -- and don't want to pay for viewers who play programs days later.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113521096416228955.html?mod=todays_us_marketplace
(requires subscription)