Regional broadcasters back on Mediapulse panel
The dispute over the TV ratings measurement system has been resolved. All regional broadcasters that had terminated their contracts with Mediapulse in 2013 are now once again having their viewership figures measured by Mediapulse. The agreement takes effect in September 2014.
This was jointly announced on Monday by the Mediapulse Group and the Swiss regional television association Telesuisse, which represents the interests of regional broadcasters. 10 of the 13 regional stations organized in Telesuisse had turned their backs on Mediapulse's measurement system last year.
Dispute over measurement system
The reason was a dispute over a newly introduced measurement system. Because of the small number of cases at small stations, the surveys showed large confidence intervals and thus strongly fluctuating audience figures in smaller coverage areas and for individual shows. The figures were not usable for work with advertising customers, said André Moesch, President of Telesuisse, in May 2013 on the occasion of the termination by the ten stations. It is not possible to have 20,000 viewers one day and 100,000 the next. In addition, the figures for some stations are generally far too low.
Joint work
The fluctuations cannot be remedied in the short term. The Mediapulse Board of Directors therefore introduced a new rate structure for small stations back in February, laying the groundwork for the negotiated framework agreement. Mediapulse and Telesuisse now want to work together on improvements to the measurement system. In the future, Mediapulse will publish the relevant key figures from all licensed regional stations at least every six months. The panel also includes Tele Züri, which does not have a license but is also a member of Telesuisse. (SDA)
