Nielsen reissues November TV ratings for B.R. market

In a highly unusual move, the Nielsen Co., which measures TV station market share, has reissued the November ratings book for Baton Rouge because of an error made in editing the handwritten diaries in which participant viewers record their viewing habits. While the revised book gives ABC-affiliate WBRZ slightly higher share and ratings points during certain key time slots, it does not change the overall result of the book, which maintains CBS-affiliate WAFB’s position as local market leader. “WAFB-TV Channel 9 remains the most-watched television station in Baton Rouge with a 2-to-1 viewership lead over its nearest competitor in most key viewing periods,” says WAFB General Manager Sandy Breland. “We are pleased but not surprised by the updated data from Nielsen.” WBRZ General Manager Rocky Daboval requested that Nielsen reissue the book, after station executives examined sample diaries in December and found numerous irregularities that called into question the accuracy of the book. He says, while the revised book does not change WBRZ’s position in the market, it underscores what he has been saying for a long time—namely, that Nielsen’s handwritten diaries are not a reliable way to measure market viewership. “Overall we are pleased with the new book,” Daboval says. “But this shows Nielsen’s methodology is not stable enough to give an accurate comparison of what viewers are watching.” Nielsen continues to use the old-fashioned diary method for collecting ratings data in Baton Rouge and other small and midsize TV markets, rather than digital meters used for larger markets. —Stephanie Riegel