TAM to exit TV viewership ratings with launch of JV firm with BARC India

Industry:    2016-02-10

After 18 years of reporting TV viewership ratings, TAM Media Research, a joint venture between Kantar Media Research and Nielsen, will cease to give TV ratings effective February 29, 2016. BARC India, a joint industry body of the broadcasters, advertising agencies and the advertisers, has officially formed a 51:49 joint venture company with TAM, called Meterology Data Pvt Ltd (MDL). This JV will manage the panel meters of both the agencies and provide the raw viewership data to BARC India. Effectively, TAM India will recall all its 12,000 peoplemeters, which will then be redeployed as per BARC India sample study. BARC India sample size will thus increase from present 22,000 meters to 34,000. BARC India will thus become the only provider of TV viewership data. On the impact of the JV, Sudhanshu Vats, group CEO, Viacom18 told ET, “The JV will help in expediting the expansion of the BARC India sample size. The immediate impact will be that it will better capture what India watches for a big heterogeneous country like India.” Vats said it is important for the industry to trade with one currency. “The strategic merger will make sure that there is only one currency,” he added. Earlier in August 2015, BARC India and TAM had announced the intent of forming the JV. However, it was not clear on how much time will it actually take. TAM Media Research Chief Executive LV Krishnan said, “We will end reporting TV viewership data from 29 February and will start recalling the peoplemeters from March. The process will take around three months, after which redeployment will happen based on BARC India design.” When asked about if there will be a job cuts or realignment, Krishnan said, “Some employees will be moved to the new JV, while a few will be absorbed by Nielsen and Kantar as well.” However, TAM will continue providing other services including AdEx services of TV, print and radio, audience measurement in radio (RAM); sports sponsorship ROI measurement (TAM Sports) and PR measurement data & audit services (Eikona) to its clients.

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