With Gray Television saying no to a new deal and CBS Corp. reportedly in tough negotiations that the nation’s dominant audience measurement company expects will result in “a mutually beneficial agreement well in advance of December 31,” it’s not been a good Wednesday for Nielsen.
That’s not to say Nielsen didn’t have any good news to share ahead of the Christmas holiday. On the contrary, it is now known that there will be no gap in data from Nielsen for advertisers and in-house research and sales pros at Hearst Television.
A “comprehensive” renewal agreement for local and national television and radio ratings, behavioral insights and measurement services has been inked by Hearst.
The new deal provides Hearst television stations with local electronic ratings across its 26 local markets; national TV ratings for its syndicated program, “Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien,” and for Litton Entertainment educational programming, as well as PPM-based Audio Ratings for WIYY-FM “98 Rock” and WBAL-AM 1090 in Baltimore.
“Hearst Television is one of the most innovative broadcasters in the industry and is at the forefront of providing advertisers access to viewers across traditional and digital platforms,” said Nielsen Local Media Managing Director Jeff Wender. “We are thrilled to reach this agreement with Hearst Television and to collaborate on the best ways to monetize their highly desirable audiences. As part of our client commitment, we will work alongside Hearst Television to provide the tools they need to tell their winning story and deliver on their business objectives.”
