BARC changes TV audience measurement method

BARC also gears up to report on rural markets.

Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), that started releasing weekly television audience measurement data April 2015 onwards, has made a few changes to its measurement method.

According to the company, as a JIB (Joint Industry Body), the endeavour at BARC India has been to deliver audience estimates with precision and reliability, while also adhering to global research standards including statistical samples, measurement, technology, collection, processing and reporting.

It has shared a bulletin which addresses processing changes that are going to be effective from Week 29, forward with a retrospective effect for the period of week 21-28, 2015.

The changes improve BARC India service by increasing accuracy, precision and reliability. It also prepares service to start reporting rural markets. BARC will provide historical base for currency service.

There are two major changes effective from this period - Weekly to Daily Weighting and Updation of Plan-view Module.

BARC's weekly weighting was an interim process used while the panel was stabilising. Daily weighting is the global standard for TV audience measurement including USA, UK, France, Australia and other countries across Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific, BARC said in an official note. The audience estimates reported for each day of the week now will reflect the viewing of all sample homes from which viewing data is collected.

As for 'Updation of Plan-view Module', the new configuration in plan-view allows users to plan on ad-breaks and/or programmes. It also allows users to plan with behavioural targets.

Besides, BARC informs that segregation of markets and target is in development. This will be applicable across all modules and plan-view, and shall be released by week 31. The new software version will also show individual and household targets separately. In BMW software, minimum reporting rules will be applied daily. The company is also working on other market feedback on the software that shall be released in due course.