BBM AND NIELSEN TO OFFER COMPETING MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS
By Adnews Staff
A battle could be heating up in the audience measurement market. The Bureau of Broadcast Measurement has dropped out of a deal with ACNielsen and teamed up with European company Taylor Nelson AGB to offer a competing measurement. system. BBM and Nielsen reached a four-year agreement in 1995 which divided the country into two separte measurement systems. Nielsen provided elecronic measurement nationally, regionally (Quebec and Ontario), as well as in Toronto. BBM offered diary measurement in the balance of Canada. The agreement did allow BBM and Nielsen to pursue new meter options and to offer a new system when an alternative was ready. BBM will begin testing its electronic measurement in Vancouver this fall. It will be available in the Toronto, Ontario and Quebec regions in September 1999 and in the balance of Canada in March 2000. Nielsen will roll out its measurement system to Vancouver this fall. It is already in the Toronto and Hamilton, Ont. markets. Nielsen says it will also offer enhancements to its services, such as a multi-week reach/frequency module, next January.