TAM to report on selected channels every month

The percentage of market share will no longer be reported for 'select' channels

Following weeks of discussion and debate, the ratings measurement agency Television Audience Measurement (TAM), has announced it would be reporting on certain channels on a monthly basis at their request.

STAR India, Zee Network, New Delhi Television, Multi Screen Media, Times Television, Network18, Viacom18 and BAG Networks are the channel networks that have requested for reporting on a monthly basis.

Under this arrangement, these channels would now directly be reported on August 1 and the absolute figures of the their reach (the number of people watching the channel for at least a minute) would be provided. The percentage of market share would no longer be reported for the above-mentioned channels. They had preferred to adopt the cost per thousand (CPT) model. In this model, advertising cost of reaching 1,000 viewers in a defined target group on television through a programme or a channel is considered as opposed to the cost per rating point (CPRP) model where cost of advertising time on television based on the price of time for a single rating point generated by the channel is considered.

In a statement to the media, TAM said, “TAM, purely as an act of professionalism, is fulfilling and respecting its contractual duties and obligations that it is bound by, with the individual broadcaster clients. This decision is based on individual client letter requests only from some specific TV Channels that have been received by TAM. Data for all other TV channels would continue to be reported as earlier.” The development comes on the heels of broadcasters withdrawing subscriptions from TAM, citing discontent over the reporting.

The channels then proposed that the advertising model be changed from CPRP to CPT to which many advertisers and broadcasters had raised objection.

Another suggestion that the broadcasters had put forward was to report ratings on a monthly basis. This too was objected to by the agencies.