Nielsen confirms with RBR-TVBR that it has disclosed more about the effects of Hurricane Sandy on national and local TV ratings in briefing with clients 11/20. Nielsen said at least eight metered markets representing nearly 17% of US TV households were impacted and the method it used to fill in the blanks for national audience estimates (mathematical weighting) slightly overstated some national TV ratings during the period (but never more than by 6%).
Nielsen also notified some customers it wouldn’t release November survey data for the New York DMA. The ratings giant says customers still have access to some of the data for specific days in November. Nielsen also informed clients which days will be excluded from the survey data it reports for four other markets — Philadelphia, Boston, Cleveland-Akron and Baltimore – which are also part of Nielsen’s local people meter samples.
The loss of Nielsen households happened when Nielsen homes in metered markets lost power and the batteries on their electronic meters drained, or when homes in the sample were destroyed or the families living there were relocated.
As of now, the eight metered markets that did not report data for at least one day during the storm include New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, DC, Cleveland, Baltimore, Hartford/N. Haven and Providence. Philadelphia lost five days of data, and the other markets lost one or two days.
Clients will continue to receive some daily data in the impacted markets via various electronic data delivery systems or third-party processors, and it is up to buyers and sellers to decide what to do with the data.
Nielsen National Sample: In-Tabs
Normal Average 95%
During Sandy 89%
Markets Impacted:
Market (Rank) * Days Affected
New York (1) 11
Philadelphia (4) 5
Boston (7) 2
Washington, DC (8) 1
Cleveland (18) 2
Baltimore (27) 2
Hartford/N.Haven (30) 1
Providence (53) 0
