A Nielsen spokesperson tells RadioInk this latest issue with meters was “an isolated personnel issue. There is no indication that this involved any media entities.” Monday afternoon, Nielsen informed radio subscribers that there were “irregular compliance patterns” in PPM homes in Los Angeles. Here are the details…“We conducted an extensive investigation and we have determined that Nielsen’s quality standards were not followed. Thirty-five households were removed.” Nielsen said that represented “55 average daily in-tab persons for the first two weeks of August. This accounts for 2% of the average daily in-tab in the L.A. metro area. Combined, the affected meters contributed less than 1% of the quarter hours of listening for these weeks.” The August Week 3, Week 4, and monthly data releases will exclude those homes and the data will be released as originally scheduled.
According to InsideRadio, Nielsen isn’t saying what triggered its response there’s no indication the problem was the result of the actions of station employees. It may simply be a bad habit that’s become commonplace among panelists says one broadcaster, while others point out participants have often run afoul of rules by either incorrectly docking their meter at night or forgetting to dock it altogether.For now, broadcasters seem to be taking the news in stride. “Nielsen is being upfront and honest and we appreciate their transparency,” says Thom Callahan, president of the Southern California Broadcasters Association. “Nielsen always has high standards and they are being very transparent in describing what they see as an irregularity.”
It is not the first time the Los Angeles market has seen a cloud cast over PPM data. Two years ago, an employee at KSCA was fired after it was determined the station was in contact with at least one panelist in an incident that forced Nielsen to reissue several months of ratings data.
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