Nielsen and your Household
Who is the Nielsen Company? What does the Nielsen Company do?
The Nielsen Company was established in 1923 and is best known as the leader in media research, such as TV, radio, and internet. The Nielsen Company gathers information about the stations and programs adults, teenagers and children watch to across the U.S. We use that information to prepare reports that are used by the media industry.
Who uses the Nielsen TV ratings reports?
The Nielsen TV ratings reports are used by TV stations and networks, advertisers and others in the media industry to learn more about the viewing habits across the U.S. The information is also studied by students in colleges and universities as one of the primary indicators of how the American public gets its information and entertainment.
How did you choose my household?
Your home was scientifically selected for a television viewing survey. We cannot ask every home to keep a diary so we carefully select a sample of homes in your community to represent the entire TV audience. We want to collect the TV programs your household watches and your comments about TV in general.
I don't watch much TV. What good is my diary?
All homes that are selected to keep a diary are important whether they watch TV just a little or a lot. We need to have a representative sample of all types of TV viewers. People all over the country are taking part. Our sample will be more accurate if selected viewers like you participate.
Why is my diary important?
The diaries you return will represent other TV homes in your community. We need your assistance because only you can provide us with information that we need to produce accurate TV ratings. The sample includes all types of TV homes across the United States and your home was selected as a representative of your local community.
Questions about your household
Must I fill out all the questions in every diary that I received?
Please answer all the questions in at least one diary; however, it would be useful to answer all the questions in all the diaries. We would like you to answer questions 3 - 6 in Step 1 in all diaries. This helps us identify the TV viewing for each diary.
I only received one diary. Do I enter viewing for all TV sets into one diary?
Yes. Try to enter the viewing for all the sets into the one diary. If you do not have enough space, attach a separate sheet and follow the instructions inside the back cover of the diary. Be sure to include the day, time, channel name, number, program name, and persons watching.
Why did you send more than one diary?
We sent you a diary for each TV in your home. Please place a diary near each TV set and enter any viewing for that set in the diary. At the end of the survey week, please return all the diaries. If a set is not used at all, write "No Viewing" on the cover of that diary and return it.
How do I decide which household member is Male or Female head of house?
Whichever Male is listed first on the home's lease, deed, or mortgage should enter their name as "Male Head of House" (column 1). Whichever Female is listed first on the home's lease, deed, or mortgage should enter their name as "Female Head of House" (column 2). Enter the names of other household members in columns 3 - 9.
What do you mean by "Number of hours worked" (for the TV or me)?
This question refers to household members who are employed. Enter hours worked per week for each employed member of the household. Write in zero (0) for anyone not working.
Who watches TV in your home
How do I record viewing for visitors?
For visitors, be sure to write the word "visitor" instead of writing in their name or initials. You can also attach a separate sheet with the gender, age and TV programs viewed for any visitor. Please ask any visitor to write down their viewing either in the diary or on this separate sheet.
Do I enter my children's viewing in the diary?
Enter the TV viewing in the diary for that particular TV set, or ask the children to enter their own viewing. If there is no diary for that set, enter their TV viewing in the other diary. We are interested in all viewing that is done in your home. Children's viewing is very important to us.
What channels you receive
Why do I need to write in all the channels I receive?
The channel number, station/channel name, and city is important information that allows Nielsen to properly credit your viewing to the correct station. There are many areas of the country that may receive the same programs during the same time period, but the program may be from different stations in different cities. We have no way of knowing this information unless you tell us. Filling in channels that you receive, allows us to accurately match your viewing to the appropriate station.
Can I attach a pre-printed list of the channels my set receives?
Yes. You can send in a list of your TV channels, such as a channel listing or channel guide from a local newspaper, your cable company, or your satellite company that lists this information, if available. Please review the list to make sure it is accurate and that no channels have changed. Cross out any channels you do not subscribe to or receive. If some have changed, please try to correct them right on the channel list itself. This will help us when we receive the diary back. Whatever information you can supply in the diary will help us to identify and give credit to any channel or station that you have written in the diary pages during your survey week.
Record your TV viewing
Cable & Satellite Viewing
How should I record cable TV viewing in the diary?
Be sure to answer the cable question in the front of the diary and write in the name of your cable company. When making entries in the "Chan. No." column, please write in the cable channel number. Enter the rest of the viewing information as shown in the diary instructions.
I receive TV programs from a satellite. How do I enter the satellite information in the diary?
Please answer the satellite questions in the front of the diary.
If you have a large dish satellite: Under the "Station or Channel Name" column, enter the broadcast station or channel name. Under the "Chan. No." column, enter the satellite number and transponder number, if known, and channel number. If you do not know the satellite number, transponder number, or channel number, write, "receive channels from satellite."
If you have a small dish satellite: Under the "Station or Channel Name" column, enter the broadcast station or channel name. Under the "Chan. No." column, enter the satellite channel number.
VCR, DVD, and DVR Usage
Recording a program you are also watching
Enter the channel name, number, and program name in the daily diary page as you would for live viewing. Put an "X" and draw a line down the columns for the household member who are watching.
Recording a program you are not watching – VCR/DVD
Enter the program information on the VCR/DVD page in the back of the diary.
Recording a program you are not watching – DVR
DVR recordings do not need to be entered in the diary until they are watched.
Watching a DVD or VCR tape – Purchased/Rented/Borrowed
Enter the date and time you recorded the program, the channel information and name of the program, along with "VCR/DVD/DVR Playback" in the daily diary pages on whatever day and time it is being watched. Put an “X” in the columns for the household members who are watching and draw lines down under each column to indicate how long the program was watched.
Television Viewing Habits
What If I watch TV away from home?
Please enter in your diary only the TV viewing that occurs in your home. Our ratings system is based on "in home" TV viewing. When diary keepers enter viewing for any visitors, that accounts for any viewing in other homes. For this diary survey, we do not collect viewing done in public places.
What do I do when I only watched a channel for a few minutes?
If you watched a program for at least five minutes, please enter the channel name, number, the name of program or movie, and the persons watching.
My TV is connected to a computer. What should I enter in the diary?
Please write "THIS TV IS ONLY USED AS A COMPUTER MONITOR" in Step 1 in the diary. Answer the questions in the diary and return to Nielsen. If there are times that you watch TV programs on this TV, enter this viewing in the diary. Be sure to mark any days that the TV is used as a computer monitor accordingly.
I received a diary for each television in my home, but I seldom watch one of the sets. Should I return the blank diary or discard it?
For the TV that is seldom used, please put one of the diaries with it for the survey week, just in case it is used. If it is not used, then write "No Viewing" on the diary cover or in some white space in the diary for that TV and return that diary with the others to Nielsen. By doing this, you let us know that we have captured all the TV viewing that occurred in your home during the survey week.
I no longer have a TV. What should I do with the diary?
Please write "No TV" on the diary cover or in some blank space in the diary. Please return the diary to Nielsen. When we receive your diary back, we will know that your home didn't refuse to participate in our survey, but that you no longer have a TV to report any television viewing.
Special Situations
We will be on a vacation, should we keep a diary of what we watch while on vacation?
If you are not at the residence address during the diary week, please note in the diary "no TV viewing occurred on these days-away on vacation" on those pages. The diary is designed to measure TV viewing at the residence it was sent to. It is not for places you may go to while away from home (e.g., hotels, airplanes, etc.) as other TV channels may be received at those locations and that viewing may not represent what you would normally view at home.
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.
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.
May I give it to my neighbor?
Please do not give the diary to your neighbor. Our survey is being conducted among a scientifically selected sample of homes, and your home was the one selected. Your neighbor's home may be selected for another survey in the future.
Money
There is money with this diary. Why did you send money?
The money enclosed with the diary is a thank you in advance for filling out and returning your diary. We know that your time is worth a lot more. However, the survey does give you a chance to tell the people who plan TV programming what programs are watched in your home.
If I cannot fill out the diary, should I return the money?
Please keep the money and return the diary or diaries sent to you. Write the reason in the diary and return the diary so that we will know that you did receive our diary, but that you are unable to participate in our survey. We hope that in the future if your home is selected for a Nielsen TV Ratings survey, that you will be able to participate at that time.
