TV research

1. What is the Industrial Television Committee?

Industrial Television Committee is set up under the principles of the Joint Industrial Committee (JIC) specified in the international standards of WFA/EACA related to the organization of the audience’s research.

Joint Industrial Committee (JIC) is an organization where the study is ordered by the Committee representing all parties concerned: broadcasters, advertisers and agencies. The Committee has all data and makes all decisions on. Any members’ opinions are expressed through participation in General Meeting.

The advantage of this system is the optimal ratio between the price and the quality at rather high common costs. Also, this system is the most reliable form of research since it has the largest number of interested parties checking all technical procedures.

The participation of the entire industry (broadcasters, advertisers and media agencies) also means that the data are available to all users. Finally, this system is most likely the promoter of innovations and improvements in the measurement of television audiences in general, since the joint industrial committees are more likely to appoint the best data provider than any other type of organization.

World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) and European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA) consider the joint industrial committees as the most effective method of organization for the television audience research. The Joint Industrial Committees guarantee to all users some control of technical documentation and management, as well as equality of access to the data by minimizing and controlling the costs.

Since 2002, the Industrial Television Committee is the largest industrial customer of the television Panel research.

 

2. What is the Technical Committee included in the Industrial Television Committee?

Recognizing its responsibility towards the television market and with purpose to arrange a balanced (reliable, consistent and appropriate for all users) system of Sociological Research of the Ukrainian television audience the TIC has created some special departments:

• Expert Department is a Technical Committee which includes the main Ukrainian experts from television and advertising industry, whose professional activity is directly related to the analysis of TV Panel and
• Analytical Service consisting of on-staff media analysts.

 

3. What is the main purpose for the television audience research?

The main purpose of the TV audience research is to create and provide the Ukrainian television market with standardized currency.

 

4. Are all channels open for watching in Ukraine measured?

Yes, all TV channels that can be watched in Ukraine are measured, regardless of the signal distribution and whether they are national, regional or foreign. Any customer of the research can order research data on any TV channel, provided that this channel can receive a sufficient number of households in the TV Panel (not less than 25 households).

To enable users to analyze the data from the TV Panel and in a wide access for all market participants are available only those channels which pay for this kind of data.

Information on these channels can be found on the TIC's web-site.

All other channels are grouped into the category “Other TV”.

 

5. On how many channels do you have the data available?

Currently there are data on 46 channels. The data on these channels can be obtained from the GFK Ukraine site.

 

6. Are the Satellite Channels measured?

All TV channels which can be watched in Ukraine are measured, regardless of the distribution signal and the reception type. The channels which are broadcasted through the satellite are measured since 2008.

 

7. Is the Digital TV measured?

The digital TV is measured since 2008. According to the Panel research data there are about 2.716 million digital households in 2010 in Ukraine.

 

8. How is the digital TV measured?

GFK company uses two methods to measure the digital signal in Ukraine:

this is the reading and processing of the data from the on-screen display (OSD) menu. The special device distinguishes the change of the screen status and OSD options. Reading the channels’ names occurs at the appearance of certain statuses (banner, list of channels (channel guide), epg. mode).

replacement of the decoder in the household by the decoder with integrated software that captures the ID channel.

 

9. How is the programs’ rating calculated?

The program rating is the average number of viewers, expressed as a percentage of the audience, representing the selected target group having watched the program each second. The calculation algorithm for programs and advertising is the same.

 

10. How is the advertising rating calculated?

The advertising rating is the average number of viewers, expressed as a percentage of the audience, representing the selected target group having watched the advertising each second. The calculation algorithm for programs and advertising is the same.

 

11. What is the Organizational Research?

The organizational research is a study carried out to monitor the changes in demographic characteristics, the presence of TV equipment and possibility to receive TV channels by Ukraine's population. The research is conducted at the request of Industrial Television Committee on a trimester basis; 12,000 households are interviewed during the year.

 

12. What is the Panel research?

The Panel is a group of people selected for the research. The main point of the Panel research is to continuously receive information from each Panel’s participant over a certain period of time. The information is collected each second. The households participating in the study are selected by special methods.

Due to the fact that the selected households by their socio-demographic as well as technical characteristics (type of signal reception, TV equipment, etc..) reproduce the structure of Ukrainian population, they form a detailed picture of TV watching by all country’s audience.

 

13. What is 50 + and 50 -?

These are two sub-selections consisting of a nationwide TV Panel in Ukraine:

"50 +" means the cities with population over 50 thousand inhabitants;

"50 -" means the villages and small towns with population less than 50 thousand inhabitants.

 

14. Who are the TV Panel clients?

The TV Panel clients are TV channels, sales houses, advertising agencies and advertisers. This television audience research received in result of TV Panel operation is an important tool to asses the effectiveness of TV channels programming, audience and advertisements analysis.

 

15. Who is the TV Panel operator?

Since 2002, the TV Panel operator is an international research company GFK Ukraine. The television audience measurement is carried out in the most countries having developed television market.

The research company GFK Group carries out the similar survey in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Switzerland. Taking into account this experience, the TV Panel in Ukraine is carried out according to international standards existing for this type of research.

During 2002-2007, GFK Ukraine had measured the television audience in Ukrainian cities with population over 50 thousand people (92 cities in total).

Since 2008 GFK Ukraine examines the television audience all around Ukraine: in large cities and small towns and villages. Totally these are 16.6 million households with TV sets or 42.6 million TV viewers.

 

16. Who are the TV Panel participants?

The TV Panels participants are 2.5 thousand households or 6.5 thousand viewers aged over 4 years old and living in 354 towns across Ukraine.

 

17. Who can join the Panel?

Any household chosen at random can participate at the study.

 

18. Are the Panel participants paid for the research?

Yes.

 

19. How is the TV audience measured?

The TV Panel operation is carried out by using a special technology. Each household participating in the study installs a special device – people-meter. The people-meter is connected to each TV set, and due to this device the TV watching of each household member (aged over 4 years old) is recorded with second-by-second accuracy. This measuring device - Telecontrol VIII - in particular allows measuring the digital TV.

 

20. Which parameters affect the TV viewers’ behaviour?

The parameters acknowledged as those that affect the viewers’ behaviour are used to build the selection. These parameters can be divided into three main groups:

characteristics of the equipment in the household (presence of terrestrial, cable or satellite reception;

availability of the analog or digital television;

number of TV sets in the household, the basic characteristics of the main TV set;

availability of some additional equipment (DVD-player, etc.);

presence of the fixed phone;

socio-demographic characteristics of the household (number of persons in the family, the presence of children under 17; the presence of people over 60 years; the main language in the household; the age of the household head; the household’s income);

socio-demographic characteristics of each viewer (gender, age, education, employment of each household’s member).

The data of the State Statistics Committee of Ukraine and special studies conducted by GFK Ukraine (organizational research) on demand of the Industrial Television Committee are used to determine the distribution of these parameters.

 

21. What information can be found from the research?

Due to the TV audience research you may know who and how watch some program product / advertising / TV channel and what are the characteristics of the viewer. You can also determine the number of viewers of some program or advertisement to analyze the advertising activity of any categories of goods on television.

 

22. What are the procedures for data quality control?

The following situations are controlled:

• the presence of some unidentified channels;
• the TV set is not switched on for more than 7 days;
• one person watches simultaneously two TV sets;
• the TV set is switched on but the registration button is not pressed;
• the TV set is switched on, but no change in the channels / register for 6 and more hours;
• the household participant does not watch TV for more than 7 days;
• no data from household for more than 3 days;
• the long watching (over 12 hours on weekdays, more than 16 hours on weekend);
• the change in the viewing behaviour; non-typical watching;
• checking the watching “matches” by interviewing  the household participants (by phone)

 

23. What is “general population”? What is general population of TV panel?

Any quantitative investigation is conducted based on certain general population. General population – is an investigated population – population of objects (in case of a TV panel – population of individuals and house holds), covered by conclusions obtained in the course of investigation.

TV panel – is a quantitative sociological sampling study.

General population of the TV panel – TV households – households having at least one TV set; based on TV households a TV audience (population living in TV households aged 4 and more) is formed.

 

24. What are the features of TV panel? What is representativeness of sample?

As long as any sociological study can not be continuous (i.e. cover all units of observation), one shall construct a special model of general population, which is called sampled population (sample). A sample – is a population of objects selected from a general population using certain procedure, based on which conclusions about general population are drawn. Given model (sample) shall correspond with characteristics of a general population and such feature of a sample is called representativeness. Panel’s sample is representative of the general population due to continuous data weighting and observance of reference parameters for its construction.

TV panel’s sample “whole Ukraine” consists of 2 representative subsamples: “50 +” and “50 –“. Each of them represents characteristics of the general population on the level of individuals and households. The panel is also representative on the level of 6 main investigated regions: Central, Northern, Southern, Western, Eastern and city of Kyiv. Analysis carried out on the level of given sampling populations is representative one.

A structure of TV panel’s sample fully corresponds with the structure of the general population (correspondence is ensured by the application of weighting procedure and use of reference parameters).

 

25. What is “net sample”?

There is also a notion of “net sample” in a panel study. This means a number of households, data on which have been received on the date of final report. Net sample (number of households in a net sample) is main indicator of panel’s fullness and usually its number differs from a planned one. In accordance with established rules, total number of households in a net sample in subsamples “Whole Ukraine” (planned sample number – 2500 households), “50 +” (planned sample number – 1600 households) and “50 –“ (planned sample number – 900 households) may deviate downwards by a maximum of 10% from the planned one according to design quantity. Deviations from a planned sample have no influence on television viewing indicators, because in this case representativeness of data is ensured by weighting procedures.

 

26. What are reference parameters?

Reference parameters – are parameters, which define general structure of sample of households and individuals.

Reference parameters of households are the following:

• Region
• City size
• Family size
• Children 0-17 years of age
• People over 60 years of age
• Type of antenna
• Presence of digital receiver
• Number of TV sets in a family
• Type of TV
• Presence of telephone
• Family income
• Primary language
• Presence of video game device
• Age of the head of the family

Reference parameters of respondents are the following:

• Region
• City size
• Age
• Sex
• Work status
• Family size
• Children 0-17 years of age
• People over 60 years of age
• Primary language
• Type of antenna
• Presence of digital receiver
• Number of TV sets in a family
• Type of TV
• Presence of telephone
• Family income
• Presence of video game device

 

27. How does a weighting procedure look like?

TV panel’s data weighting takes place during processing of data for each day (for preliminary and final data). The essence of a weighting is that weighting coefficient is assigned for each individual of the TV panel (as well as each household of the panel), for which data for a certain day have been obtained and validated. Weighting coefficients show how many people (households) of the general population are represented by each panel’s individual (panel’s household) in projection on the structure of general population. Weighting takes place separately for individuals and households.

Distributions of parameters for weighting are calculated based on official statistics data and results of standard-setting study.

List of parameters for weighting:

For individuals:

• Distribution “region by settlement size”
• Distribution “sex by age”
• TV household size
• Children 0-17 years of age
• Household’s primary language
• Employment
• Income (estimated parameter)
• Type of antenna
• Presence of stationary telephone
• Number of TV sets in a household

For households:

• Distribution “region by settlement size”
• TV household size
• Children 0-17 years of age
• Household’s primary language
• Income (estimated parameter)
• Type of antenna
• Presence of stationary telephone
• Number of TV sets in a household

 

28. Can one analyze television viewing of small target audiences?

Analysis of any artificial samples (target audiences) may not always be representative and its results may not always be carried over on a general population. For example, such parameters as age, sex and income are representative themselves; however their intersection is not representative. That’s why irregular permanent random fluctuations in distribution of parameters may occur.

 

29. Is there an error in the data and what is it?

The error in the data for Panel research is not calculated.

First, it should be noted that while building the Panel, it goes through several selection stages; therefore the selection is not entirely random (it is built on the basis of control parameters).

Secondly, we examine the changes on a daily basis not on the new respondents’ selection, but on the same one.

 

30. How can I get the research?

The data for the previous day (top 10 programs and results of TV channels viewing) and for the previous month (top 50 programs and results of TV channels viewing) are available on the GFK website without any restriction. Some advertising data (social, political, direct, etc.) and other television events in Ukraine are free for downloading from the TIC’s website.

 

31. What is the difference between the final data and the preliminary one?

Preliminary (Overnight) data are received by the customers on the day following the broadcasting one. The data are available to users, starting from 10 a.m. The final data are provided on the 3^rd day after broadcasting.

Thus, the difference between the data provision is 2 days. This extra time is used to get data from larger number of households and control them.

There is a number of criteria which control the previous data:

• the accuracy of the viewing registration by the audience,
• the accuracy of the technical devices operation
• the accuracy of the channels allocation to the viewing

For example, the preliminary data have fixed that the viewers were watching TV during 18 hours. GFK should control the reasons for such viewing - whether it is appropriate to the viewer or the viewer just fell asleep while watching TV, or perhaps was out of the house, but forgot to switch off TV set, or whether there was some technical problem occurred to the device.

If it appeared that the viewer did not really watch TV during 18 hours, the data is invalid and such household is excluded from the final data.

So, the households the viewing of which is deemed to be invalid are excluded from the final data, at the same time those households who were additionally contacted by phone during 2 days are included.

It should be noted that on average the final data are not significantly different from the preliminary ones, but there are some exceptions. If the number of respondents having watched the channel is small, then the inclusion or exclusion of even one single viewer who watched the channel may affect the change of the channel’s final indicators compared with the previous ones.

 

32. May the preliminary (overnight) data be used?

Yes, but keep in mind that the ultimate are the final data provided on the 3rd day.

 

33. From which date are the data on TV channels available?

The TV channels rating can be seen since 2003 for general totality “cities with more than 50 thousand of inhabitants”, and since 2008 - for the whole Ukraine (including the towns with less than 50 thousand of inhabitants and the villages).

 

34. If I do not buy the data, how can I get them?

The data on the best programs and TV watching indicators (on the next day and for the previous month) are available on the website of the Media Department GFK Ukraine. Some advertising data (social, political, direct, etc.) and other television events in Ukraine are free for downloading from the TIC’s website.

 

35. How can I find out the rating of an individual program or advertisement?

You can send the request to the company GFK Ukraine and get the report as for program or advertisement viewing indicators.

 

36. How is the television audience studied around the world?

We offer comparative information from the television Panel studies worldwide. The data source is the publication (16^th edition) “Television: 2009 (International Key Facts)” with indicators for 2008 and the separate aggregated data from Panel research for 2010 (source: http://www.ipnetwork.com/rd/htm/tvkeyfacts.aspx)

 

37. What is the rule for disclosing the TV Panel data?

The rules of TV Panel data disclosing may be found at the TIC’s website.

The recommendations objective is to standardize the principles of TV Panel data. We assume that the compliance with all recommendations will enable the users of these TV Panel data to receive the correct information which is relevant not only within the television market in Ukraine, but also in other states.

 

38. Does the TV audience study in Ukraine meet the international quality standards?

TIC ensures that the television audience studies meet the international quality standards and modern technological and methodological developments in the industry.

Indeed, the CESP’s audit in 2008 showed that “CESP believes that the GFK-Ukraine’s television system research is satisfactory in the following aspects: ... compliance with international standards “Global Guidelines for Television Audience Measurement” (GGTAM) compiled by the Group on the Audience Research Methods (ARM) in 1999”.

GGTAM - Global Guidelines for Television Audience Measurement  - International guidelines sponsored and published by the EBU in collaboration with the Audience Research Methods (ARM) Group comprising representatives from nine international trade associations or groups of professionals: ARF (USA); Canadian ARF; EAAA (now EACA); EGTA; EMRO; ESOMAR; GEAR; PETR; WFA.

 

39. When did the tenders for the television audience research take place?

Since the founding the Industrial Television Committee holds tenders for television audience research:

In 2002, TIC held the first tender for the television audience research for the period 2003-2007 which was won by GFK Ukraine.

In 2006, GFK Ukraine won the second tender for the television audience research - for the period 2008-2012.

Also in 2006 the company “Communication Alliance” won the tender to provide services concerning the monitoring of the television network and advertising for the period 2008 – 2012.

 

40. Are there any audits of the television audience research, and what kind of audits?

The previous television Panel audits have taken place:

• in 2003 and 2004 the audits have been carried out by international expert Peter Miner;
• in 2007 the Panel audit (requested by the TIC’s founder - 1+1 TV channel) has been carried out by an  independent auditor Vittorio Bossi;
• in 2008 the audit has been carried out by CESP (Centre d'Etude des Supports de Publicite) – the Centre for Media Study and Support;
• in 2009-2010 the audit was carried out by an independent audit company.

The objectives of these audits were to check the compliance of the valid Panel with the most modern international norms and standards, clarify and obtain the recommendations as for processing of the national/local research features of the Ukrainian television Panel, check the security issues during the storage and transmission of TV Panel research data and others.

The results of these audits were technical and methodological recommendations which became the basis for changes in the Panel which were introduced by TIC and GFK Ukraine.

The audit objectives and plan is developed by the TIC’s Technical Committee; the selection of contractors which will perform the audit is carried out by open tender offers. The winners are elected at the TIC’s General Meeting; the audit funding is carried out by Industrial Television Committee.

 

41. Who are the licensed users of TV Panel?

One of the TIC’s objectives in the strategic direction of the television audience research is to protect the rights of licensed data users of the television research system.

Civilized legal and ethical behaviour of companies which includes the payment for quality services is an attribute of the leading market players.

Olga Rosmanova, Director of Media Research Department, GFK Ukraine:

“Advertising agencies illegally using the data of the television Panel, can not guarantee to their customers the accuracy and reliability of information that rises doubts as for the transparency of such agencies relations with advertisers.

Now the advertisers are getting more and more interested in honest relationships with agencies which are licensed users of the data received from the GFK Ukraine television Panel, since they understand that only in this case they will receive guaranteed quality data.

Often and often we reply to the requests from companies about the legality of the use of data from the television Panel by their advertising agencies. We maintain this practice and since 2008 all agencies receive the relevant GFK Ukraine’s certificate certifying that they are licensed users of our product”.

For the sake of transparency TIC publishes on a monthly basis the list of official users of the GFK Ukraine TV Panel package services.

 

42. Does the TV audience research performing by GFK and ordered by TIC have the signs of the monopoly?

No it does not, taking into account the following:

Any business entities the same as TIC have an opportunity on equal basis (by reaching the consent on all essential terms) to enter into agreements with GFK concerning the “TV Panel” research;

GFK is not a monopolist and all related services provided on the “TV Panel” research have no any appropriate signs. Thus, according to the Law of Ukraine “On Economic Competition protection” the business entity occupies a monopoly (dominating) position on the market if: it has no any competitor on this market; it does not undergo significant competition due to limited access opportunities for other entities as for the purchase of raw materials, materials and the sale of goods, existence of some obstacles to market access for other entities, availability of privileges or other circumstances. As for today, the market has some businesses entities which are ready to provide and provide already services on “TV Panel” research. Therefore there is competition on the market.

GFK does not create any obstacles to market access for other entities (competitors). Each entity has the right to freely choose the counter-party for cooperation and freely enter into agreements (Civil code of Ukraine, Economic code of Ukraine). Thus, other entities (except TIC) can order services not only from GFK, but from other companies as well.

 

43. What is the Algorithm?

Algorithm is a mathematical model to identify families with significant viewing deviations. This procedure was developed by TIC’s Technical Committee and GFK Ukraine and approved by the TIC’s General Meeting in April 2009. The Algorithm’s goal is to identify the families with significant viewing deviation by checking the TV viewing of each household by 5 criteria. The algorithm calculation is performed once a month. The households or some of the members who have not passed through the Algorithm procedure are analyzed in details by GFK Ukraine in order to establish the reasons for such viewing.

 

44. What is the People-meter?

The people-meter is an electronic system to measure TV viewing. The people-meter is connected to each fixed TV set in the household and records the channel which is watched in the household. The people-meter has a remote control, on which each household member has to click when start watching TV.

 

45. What happens if the household has decided to withdraw from the Panel?

The household may withdraw from the Panel at any time. In this case, GFK will invite to join the Panel a new household the characteristics of which meet the necessary criteria of TV Panel selection.

 

46. What happens if the household goes on vacation?

Since the household has no home TV viewing at this time, it is included in the data with zero TV viewing. If the household leaves on vacation for more than 25 days, it is excluded from the data until it is returned home.

 

47. What happens if the household goes to the country-side house?

Since the household has no home TV viewing at this time, it is included in the data with zero TV viewing. If the household goes to the country-side for a long period of time and does not watch TV for more than 25 days, it is excluded from the data until it is returned home.

 

48. What happens if the household buys a new TV?

The company GFK measures all TV viewing in the household. Therefore, if the household bought a new TV, the technical specialist will visit the household to connect new TV to the people-meter.

 

49. Is the TV watching outside home measured?

Only home TV watching is measured, any watching outside the home is not measured.

 

50. Is the watching of guests invited in the household measured?

Yes, it is measured. The guests (people who have not participated in the TV selection) who are watching TV in the household that is the TV Panel member are asked to register their viewing.

 

51. What do the special terms mean?

The special terms used in the TV audience research can be found in the Vocabulary.

 

52. Where can I apply to submit proposals as for the TV Panels operation?

To ensure the television audience research to be acceptable to all users the TIC applies to the TV industry with proposal to provide requests, comments, concerns regarding the TV Panel, and also to report on any facts relating to the television measurement.

TIC is the largest industrial customer of the television Panel research, and we are interested in high quality transparent and open research. The TIC’s Technical Committee at the TIC’s analytical service will examine the requests, in the presence of interested parties if necessary and wished by them.

Please expect the reply within three working days after the request is sent.

You must fill in the relevant application.

 

53. I want to become TAM panel member and to participate in research. Is it possible?

From 2002 special devices (“peoplemeters”) every second capture television preferences of Ukrainians who participate in TAM panel. Gathered information helps TV channels working in Ukraine to better know their audience wishes, and advertisers – to make truly interesting and not annoying commercials.

In order to serve their purpose, TAM panel data should be qualitative and to really reflect TV viewing of Ukrainian viewers. That is why there are several strict rules applied to the principles of respondent selection. One of the main requirements is the randomness of the sample, to wit, such selection, when all households with TV set in Ukraine have equal probability to be selected but only a certain number of them are randomly selected to the sample. It means that no one can affect the selection procedure, which is held solely by the principle of randomness. Thereby, neither international sociological company GfK, which is the TAM panel operator, nor TIC, which is requesting this study, nor anyone else, could include anyone in its sole discretion. It can’t be done notwithstanding the wish of the person or the wish of the third parties, since any such intrusion contradicts the principle of randomness and could negatively affect the data.