Total persons/homes in a given population, such as TV Households in

the U.S.

Universe = 10 HH

Includes all TV Homes: satellite, hard-wired cable, non-cable homes.

Viewing reported to cable networks in the DMA could be in satellite or

hard-wired homes.

As it applies in Strata: CDMA

Hard-wired cable universe (excludes satellite and non-cable homes).

Acronym for Designated Market Area. DMAs are a way of designating

particular geographic markets, and are often ranked by size of

population.

As it applies in Strata: DMA

The percent of total persons/universe tuned to a particular TV program

during the average quarter hour.* Also called Average Audience.

Rating: HHs Tuned to Program = 3 = .3 or 30%

Universe 10

30 rating*Minimum of 5 minutes.

HH tuned to

TV Program

“XYZ”

Rating: HHs Tuned to Program= 3 = .6 or 60%

Total Cable HHs (UE) 5

60 rating

Cable HH

Rating in a Cable Universe

HH tuned to

TV Program

“XYZ”

The estimated number of households with at least one television set turned

on for five minutes or more during an average quarter-hour.

HUT = 6TV is

turned on

Share: HHs Tuned To Program = 3 = .5 or 50%

HUT 6

50 Share

The percentage of TV sets in use tuned to a particular program.

TV is

turned on

HH tuned to

TV Program

“XYZ”

Share: HHs Tuning To Program = 3 = .75 or 75%

Cable HUT 4

75 Share

Share in a Cable Universe

Cable HH

TV is

turned on

HH tuned to

TV Program

“XYZ”

The audience expressed in numeric, rather than percent form.

IMP = Rating(%) x Universe

Also called Average Audience Projection.

Also called Rating (000).

The sum of all ratings for all programs in a schedule.

The GRPs expressed in numeric rather than percent form.

Gross Impressions (GIMPs)

Gross Rating Points (GRPs)

The number of different people/homes exposed at least once to a program

or commercial across a stated period of time. Also called cumulative (cume) or unduplicated audience; can be expressed in full numbers or as a percentage.

Total

HHs: 10

Cume: Number of Different HHs reached = 6 = 60%

Total TV Households 10

Day 1 x x x

Day 2 x

Day 3 x

Day 4 x x x

Day 5 x x

Day 6 x x

Day 7 x x x

1 1 1 1 1 1

Number of Different HHs Reached: 6

Average Frequency: Number of Exposures = 18 = 3 times

Total HHs Tuned In 6

Exposure 1 x x x x x x

Exposure 2 x x x x

Exposure 3 x x x

Exposure 4 x x x

Exposure 5 x x

5 5 1 4 2 1

Total Number of Exposures: 18

The average number of times a HH/person is exposed to a

commercial.

Total

HHs tuned-in: 6

The cost to deliver a single rating point.

The cost of advertising per thousand potential customers

reached by a given broadcast advertisement.

CPM = (Media Cost/Impressions) x 1000

At the local level, Nielsen measures television audiences

using three different methodologies depending on the market.

In the smallest markets (currently markets ranked above #60)

diaries (see right) are sent out four times a year during

“sweep” months (Feb, May, July, November). The

broadcasters tend to schedule premieres, specials and

original programming during these “sweep” periods, and this

“hyped” data is used for buying and selling the rest of the

year. Diaries are used to collect both viewing (who) and

tuning (how many people) to programs and networks. The

diary is the least accurate collection method.

In the next set of markets (ranked 14-60), set meters are

used to capture set tuning continuously all year, while diaries

are still mailed out during sweeps to capture demographics

(who is watching). These two methods are joined together to

develop audience estimates in these markets.

In the top markets (ranked 1-13), local people meters (LPM)

are used to electronically capture both tuning and viewing.

The LPM is considered the standard of measurement in the

US today.

From The CAB for more information (such as “Buying in a Diary-Only Market,” “Buying in a

Meter-Diary Market,” “Local People Meter Primer,” “Local Posting Guidelines”), visit

www.thecab.tv