New TV ratings not published for the time being
Since January 1, TV ratings in Switzerland have been recorded using a new technology. Because technical difficulties have arisen, Mediapulse is foregoing an initial planned publication of the new data for the time being.
The system was installed in 2'000 households in December without any problems and has been working well since then, Nico Gurtner, head of communications at Mediapulse, said Wednesday in response to an inquiry from the SDA news agency. In the first days of January, minor inconsistencies had occurred in the data that were not plausible. Mediapulse has therefore decided not to publish the first audience ratings under the new system, Gurtner added. The company wanted to take time to check the data before releasing it.
Mapping television consumption more precisely
The new system is intended to provide a more precise picture of TV consumption by the Swiss resident population. Since the 1980s, viewing figures have been recorded using devices connected to the TV sets of a representative selection of households. However, these devices only inadequately took into account viewing habits, which have changed considerably in recent years. The new technology compares the sound broadcast by the TV station with that received by the viewer. This so-called "audio matching" makes it possible to identify a television program even if it is viewed days after it was broadcast.
With the introduction of the new devices, Mediapulse expects a change in the previous audience ratings. None of the households that used to own a meter are represented anymore. In addition, many more households are now eligible for measurement than before. If a TV set was a prerequisite in the past, all that is needed now is a "TV-capable screen." (SDA)
