Nielsen to gauge TV viewing on Web, mobile devices

NIELSEN TO GAUGE TV VIEWING ON WEB, MOBILE DEVICES
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Paul J. Gough]
In a move with far-reaching implications for commercial television, Nielsen Media Research said Wednesday it plans to integrate TV with Internet ratings and to measure viewership for such portable devices as cell phones and iPods. Nielsen also set a firm date of 2011 for the end of paper diaries still used for collecting local ratings data in the smallest markets during "sweeps." The scope of Wednesday's announcement stunned many in the media industry, who had for years told Nielsen that it moved too slowly in reacting to changes in the TV business. It also came months after Nielsen opted not to go ahead with a joint venture involving radio ratings service Arbitron and its Portable People Meter technology.
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