Media Math 101 presentation.

2. Total persons/homes in a given population, such as TV Households in
the U.S.
Universe = 10 HH

3. Acronym for Designated Market Area. DMAs are a way of designating
particular geographic markets, and are often ranked by size of
population.
As it applies in Strata: DMA
Includes all TV Homes: satellite, hard-wired cable, non-cable homes.
Viewing reported to cable networks in the DMA could be in satellite or
hard-wired homes.
As it applies in Strata: CDMA
Hard-wired cable universe (excludes satellite and non-cable homes).

4. The percent of total persons/universe tuned to a particular TV program
during the average quarter hour.* Also called Average Audience.
Rating: HHs Tuned to Program = 3 = .3 or 30% HH tuned to
Universe 10 TV Program
“XYZ”
*Minimum of 5 minutes.
30 rating

5. Rating in a Cable Universe
Cable HH
Rating: HHs Tuned to Program= 3 = .6 or 60%
Total Cable HHs (UE) 5
HH tuned to
60 rating TV Program
“XYZ”

6. The estimated number of households with at least one television set turned
on for five minutes or more during an average quarter-hour.
TV is
turned on
HUT = 6

7. The percentage of TV sets in use tuned to a particular program.
TV is
turned on
Share: HHs Tuned To Program = 3 = .5 or 50%
HUT 6
HH tuned to
50 Share TV Program
“XYZ”

8. Share in a Cable Universe
Cable HH
TV is
turned on
Share: HHs Tuning To Program = 3 = .75 or 75%
Cable HUT 4 HH tuned to
TV Program
75 Share “XYZ”

9. The audience expressed in numeric, rather than percent form.
IMP = Rating(%) x Universe
Also called Average Audience Projection.
Also called Rating (000).

10. Gross Rating Points (GRPs)
The sum of all ratings for all programs in a schedule.
Gross Impressions (GIMPs)
The GRPs expressed in numeric rather than percent form.

11. The number of different people/homes exposed at least once to a program
or commercial across a stated period of time. Also called cumulative (cume) or
unduplicated audience; can be expressed in full numbers or as a percentage.
Total
HHs: 10
Day 1 x x x
Day 2 x
Day 3 x
Day 4 x x x
Day 5 x x
Day 6 x x
Day 7 x x x
1 1 1 1 1 1
Number of Different HHs Reached: 6
Cume: Number of Different HHs reached = 6 = 60%
Total TV Households 10

12. The average number of times a HH/person is exposed to a
commercial.
Total
HHs tuned-in: 6
Exposure 1 x x x x x x
Exposure 2 x x x x
Exposure 3 x x x
Exposure 4 x x x
Exposure 5 x x
5 5 1 4 2 1
Total Number of Exposures: 18
Average Frequency: Number of Exposures = 18 = 3 times
Total HHs Tuned In 6

13. The cost to deliver a single rating point.
The cost of advertising per thousand potential customers
reached by a given broadcast advertisement.
CPM = (Media Cost/Impressions) x 1000

14. At the local level, Nielsen measures television audiences
using three different methodologies depending on the market.
In the smallest markets (currently markets ranked above #60)
diaries (see right) are sent out four times a year during
“sweep” months (Feb, May, July, November). The
broadcasters tend to schedule premieres, specials and
original programming during these “sweep” periods, and this
“hyped” data is used for buying and selling the rest of the
year. Diaries are used to collect both viewing (who) and
tuning (how many people) to programs and networks. The
diary is the least accurate collection method.
In the next set of markets (ranked 14-60), set meters are
used to capture set tuning continuously all year, while diaries
are still mailed out during sweeps to capture demographics
(who is watching). These two methods are joined together to
develop audience estimates in these markets.
In the top markets (ranked 1-13), local people meters (LPM)
are used to electronically capture both tuning and viewing.
The LPM is considered the standard of measurement in the
US today.
From The CAB for more information (such as “Buying in a Diary-Only Market,” “Buying in a
Meter-Diary Market,” “Local People Meter Primer,” “Local Posting Guidelines”), visit
www.thecab.tv