Nielsen to Offer Multiplatform Audience Measurement

NEW YORK, June 14: Nielsen Media Research today unveiled its
plans to develop and deploy television audience measurement systems for viewing
online, outside the home, and on cell phones, iPods and other handheld devices.

The move falls under Nielsen’s
Anytime Anywhere Media Measurement (A2/M2) initiative. In addition to measuring
standard in-home television viewing, online streaming video, out-of-home
viewing and viewing on digital devices, the initiative also aims to provide
electronic measurement in all local markets by 2011. Further, Nielsen will
create new research tools to measure viewer engagement in TV programming.

"As digital distribution
of television transforms the way our clients do business, Nielsen is keeping
pace with new ways of measuring TV wherever it is viewed," said Susan D.
Whiting, the president and CEO of Nielsen Media Research. "With continued
client direction, patented technologies, internal focus on speed and innovation
and unrivalled understanding of how people watch television, Nielsen is
uniquely positioned to anticipate and respond to the industry's
evolution."

She continued, "A2/M2 is
the result of extensive consultation with clients, who told us clearly that we
should 'follow the video' and deliver integrated measurement of all
television-like content regardless of platform. A2/M2 recognizes that there is
no 'one size fits all' approach to measuring television, while launching the
most extensive research and testing program in the company's history."

Nielsen will work with its
sister company NetRatings for online viewing tracking, using uses proprietary
"ping back" technology to provide measurement of what is delivered
online. Plus, Nielsen will add Internet television measurement to its People
Meter samples next year.

For outside the home
measurement, Nielsen is developing and testing new personal meters, which it
expects to roll out by the end of 2008. Starting this fall and continuing into
the beginning of 2007, Nielsen will conduct a preliminary external test of two
personal meters, called "Go Meters," designed to capture out-of-home
viewing by collecting audio signatures: one device places metering technology
in cell phones and the other is a customized meter that resembles an MP3
player.

In order to analyze viewing on
handheld devices, Nielsen is working to create "Solo Meters" that can
be used with any portable media system. Development of the systems starts this
summer and functional prototypes are expected to available within six to 12
months.