Peoplemeters in the USA: an Historical and Methodological Perspective
Barry Cook NBC
Network television advertising in the United States is nearly a $10 billion business, and since 1950 the Nielsen Television Index ,(NTI) ratings have been the basis of negotiating and guaranteeing audience delivery. The NTI measured set tuning by passive meters, and used a separate diary panel (the National Audience Composition panel) to measure demographics. But in 1987, the basis of the national television advertising marketplace changed to Nielsen peoplemeters.
Between 1950 and 1970, the NTI service was subjected to scrutiny and validation studies which served to build...