Nielsen Yanks Broadband From Local Sample

After a formal protest from the NAB, Nielsen has reversed course and decided to exclude broadband-only homes from its local TV market samples “for the time being.”

“Broadband-only TV homes will continue to be included in the national TV Universe, the national sample, and the national TV ratings,” Nielsen says this week in a memo to clients.

“We expect to include broadband-only TV homes back into local measurement when the local market is better prepared to adopt this change.”

Nielsen had decided to include the broadband-only homes in the local sample just last year.

Nielsen’s action came on the heels of a NAB board resolution adopted last week calling on Nielsen to put off the so-called hybrid measurement until it can be fully tested. If broadband-only homes are eventually included, the resolution says, they should be added to the local measurement sample and not replace traditional TV homes.

“The impact … of these new measurements could understate actual viewership of local television stations,” the resolution cautions.