Nielsen TV Rating Process

Who is Nielsen TV Ratings?
Nielsen TV Ratings . . . also known as Nielsen Media Research, Inc. was established in 1950.  Nielsen, located in Florida, is a well-known leader in television research.  Nielsen gathers information about television viewing of adults, teenagers and children across the United States.  This viewing information is used to prepare the official TV ratings.  Nielsen reports the TV viewing of TV households across the U.S.  This is why we would like you to take part in this survey and make diary entries.  It is important that you participate in the survey and write comments in the diaries.

What are the Nielsen TV Ratings?
Nielsen TV Ratings answers two questions about TV viewing: "Who is watching TV?" and "What are they watching?"  The TV Ratings are counts of persons watching television programs on TV stations, networks, cable and satellite systems.  The counts include adults, teenagers, and children from all kinds of homes across the U.S.

Why do you ask questions in the diary?
It is very important for us to represent all types of households.  These questions allow us to ensure that everyone is included.  Otherwise our results would not be as accurate.  Please be assured that your answers will be kept highly confidential.

How does Nielsen choose their "permanent" Nielsen homes?
Nielsen TV Ratings does not have any "permanent" samples of homes.  By "permanent" you may be referring to the households where electronic meters are installed.  Nielsen has many different types of surveys.  Our diary samples are scientifically selected by addresses in geographic areas across the U.S.  We do not keep permanent listings for studies, but it could happen by chance that the same home could be chosen for more than one survey.

Are you going to ask me to fill out another diary, after I fill out and return this diary?
Generally, we do not call upon the same television home more than once for a particular survey, but this could occur by chance.  Also, there is the possibility that your home could be selected for some other future Nielsen survey.

Will you give out my name and address?
No . . . absolutely not!  Please be assured that your name, address, and phone number are completely confidential.  We do not release or sell any information about any TV home.  In fact, Nielsen will not disclose names or addresses to anyone for any reason.  The reports we produce combine the TV viewing of all homes that participate.  The identities of individual homes are not used in any Nielsen reports.

Will someone try to sell me something because I return my diary?
Never!  The information from your home is held strictly confidential.  You will never be approached by someone selling something because you returned your Nielsen TV Ratings diary.


Special Situations

I've moved to another city/county/state and the diary was forwarded to me.  Can I still make viewing entries in the diary?
Yes, you may make viewing entries in the diary.  There is a place in the diary to write in the city, state and county where you now reside.

The diary is addressed to someone else who used to live here.  Can I fill out the diary since I live here now?
Yes.  Your participation is extremely important to us.

I am at my winter/summer vacation home and the diary has been forwarded to me from my permanent residence.  Can I do the diary?
No, we're sorry.  Your household was selected at your permanent residence.  We use only the TV viewing done in your permanent residence.  We can not include the viewing that occurs at a vacation home.  However, please check the box in question #3 of Step 1 in the diary to indicate that "Everyone is away all week".  Fill in the names of all household members and fill in the information about the age, sex and number of hours worked and answer the other questions in the diary and return it (or all of them) to us.
 
You phoned me at this address and sent a diary(ies) here, but this is my vacation (or seasonal/summer/winter) home.  Can I do the diary?
No, we're sorry.  We use only the TV viewing done in your permanent residence.  We can not include the viewing that occurs at a vacation home.  Please write in the diary "This is my second home".  Fill in the names of all household members and fill in the information about the age, sex and number of hours worked and answer the other questions in the diary and return it (or all of them) to us.

I spend six months at one home and six months at the other.  Which would be considered to be my permanent home?
Whichever residence at which you are registered to vote or in which your vehicle is registered should be considered your permanent address.  If you have further questions about which residence to consider as your permanent residence, please call our toll-free telephone number: 1-800-237-8611, 7 days a week, 9:00 AM to 12:00 Midnight EST.

What if I am employed in the TV/Radio industry?
If any household member is employed by, or a principal owner in the television or media industry, our guidelines prohibit us from including that household in our survey.  If that is the case, please accept our thanks for your interest and your understanding and answer 'Yes' to Question #10, the TV/Radio employment question, in each diary.  Return all the diaries at your convenience so that we know that you are a member of the media.  If you are unsure please call 1-800-237-8611 for more detailed information.  A helpful person is waiting to answer any questions you may have.