Calculating Audiences

ACNielsen is a global marketing research firm, with worldwide headquarters in New York City.

People meter
A people meter is a tool used to measure the viewing habits of a TV audience.
The People Meter is a 'box', about the size of a paperback book. The box is hooked up to each television set and is accompanied by a remote control.
Each family member in a sample household is assigned a personal 'viewing button'. It identifies each household member's age and gender.
If the TV is turned on and the viewer doesn't identify themselves, the meter flashes to remind them


5 ways of calculating an audience

People meter data: pro: its honest data and it gives extra information like the age and gender of the viewer and it gives constant results. Cons: not a very wide range of data because only 470 people have it, can get annoying.
Web surveys: pro: it’s private, measures clicks, and saves money because it’s free to set up. Cons: need to have access to the internet, might not be accurate, and doesn’t give extra info like age and gender.

Phone: cons: a lot of people find it annoying so you wouldn’t get so many results and people could easily lie. Pros: simple way to find out who is watching what and you can get a wide range of results.

Polls:
Pros: Easy to set up, doesn’t take up much time.
Cons: People lying about their opinion, limited results.

TV Competitions:
Pros: Attracts people to the show, shows who watches TV at that time, attracting a lot of people because they're keen to win stuff.
Cons: People may only watch the show for the competition