Nielsen Mistake Hurts KFOR

By Michael Malone
( Broadcasting & Cable )
published

A significant number of viewers who watched Local TV's KFOR Oklahoma City on digital television were not counted by Nielsen, their viewership incorrectly sent to a "digital viewing bucket," according to the ratings company. Those potential ratings points were erroneously assigned to KFOR's channel 4.1 multicast for almost three years.

Local TV Chief Operating Officer Pam Taylor said Nielsen has been forthcoming about the error, but acknowledged that undercounted ratings at KFOR hampered the station's advertising revenue substantially.

Michael Malone
Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.