MARKHAM – Canada’s TV ratings joint venture, BBM Nielsen Media Research, went officially live today.
The "long anticipated and much sought joint-venture between BBM Canada and Nielsen Media Research," says the press release, enhances the television audience measurement landscape in Canada substantially by eliminating the duplication of television audience data collection between the two organizations."
“The creation of the BBM Nielsen Media Research joint venture is a direct consequence of the many industry requests for a single Canadian supplier of television ratings data,” said Mike Leahy, the newly appointed president of BBM Nielsen Media Research. “It preserves the high quality data services the industry has embraced for years, it incorporates the best available data collection technology, it delivers cost efficiencies, and it maintains competitive choices in terms of analytical tools.”
The BBM Canada Board of Directors and its television committees will govern the new joint venture. “Because BBM Canada is a member-owned, tripartite, not-for-profit organization, it effectively ensures that these vital Canadian research services will continue to be carefully managed and controlled for the benefit of the entire Canadian advertising industry,” said Jim MacLeod, president of BBM Canada, and CEO of BBM Nielsen Media Research.
Under the new arrangement, television viewing data will be collected and managed as follows:
* BBM Canada continues to provide measurement services not part of this joint venture.
* BBM’s Personal Portable People Meter panel will continue to measure francophone audiences in the Montreal and the Quebec region and diary-based television surveys will continue to be used in smaller Canadian markets.
* BBM Nielsen Media Research will use Mark II People Meter technologies and panels formerly used by Nielsen Media Research to collect television audience data in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, the Ontario region, and national.
* All television data will be released only through BBM Canada.
BBM Nielsen Media Research will benefit from on-going access to Nielsen’s Global Technology & Information Center based in Tampa, Florida – the world’s largest, most advanced facility designed to serve the worldwide needs of the media research industry.
* To maintain its state-of-the-art position in measurement technologies, the joint venture will conduct a thorough technology review within three years to consider alternative audience measurement technologies from any and all companies worldwide.
* BBM Canada’s radio measurement is not affected by the joint venture.
