Report: Viacom Chief Says Nielsen Is Outdated

Philippe Dauman

Faced with ratings and advertising declines, the chief executive of Viacom criticized the television research firm Nielsen on Thursday for failing to keep pace with the way people watch TV.

The NYTimes reports ratings for Viacom’s networks, which include MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon, tumbled 15 percent during the quarter that ended in September, according to Nielsen data compiled by Bernstein Research. Those ratings challenges led Viacom’s domestic ad sales to decline 5 percent for the quarter, the company reported Thursday.

Philippe Dauman, Viacom’s chief executive, said a large portion of the viewing of Viacom networks was through mobile apps, gaming devices and other platforms that traditional Nielsen ratings do not include.

“We are in a transitional moment with existing measurement services that have not caught up to the marketplace,” Mr. Dauman said during a conference call. “They are trying to catch up. I am sure they will eventually catch up. In the meantime, we are not waiting for that.”

Mr. Dauman said about 30 percent of Viacom’s domestic advertising revenue was not dependent on Nielsen ratings, such as sales for mobile apps, personalized advertising and sponsorships. In the next three years, the company should increase that portion to about 50 percent of its domestic ad sales, he said.

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