Mumbai : As commented earlier, TAM CEO LV Krishnan has survived in the business on 1st May as TAM Media Research released its data on the television industry, a day after Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), released its first television viewership report for the week ending 24th April.
While there is a slight change in the pecking order of channels in some categories, the viewership estimates of both research outfits are not very different. But since a number of leading broadcasters and advertising agencies have unsubscribed from TAM’s reports, there is a question mark over the agency’s survival.
He pitched for a multiple rating agency model in India Television market describing that the marked size is huge enough to admit more players than just depending on a single measurement agency.
“I think there is enough room for both of us to co-exist. The fact that we are publishing data means we have clients who are buying data from us. In fact, there are guys who are buying both BARC and TAM data,” says TAM India CEO, LV Krishnan, who insists that with the backing of its global parents — AC Nielsen and Kantar Media/IMRB — it is confident that it can add new users.
“This is the core product for both partners,” added Krishnan. The individual-level data that TAM provides along with demographic sets, says Krishnan, is a key differentiator for it.
BARC’s data uses a new system, New Consumer Classification System (NCCS), which is based on consumer buys and not on the Socio-Economic Class (SEC) classification used by TAM and other research agencies.
“What we have is 17 years of historical data which gives a perspective very important for benchmarking,” he added. Krishnan dismisses any worries or any rumours of a split between the partners as well. “As we move forward, we will move to multi-screen research, more geographically-focused areas,” ended Krishnan.
Multiple ratings measurement agency concept was not new to the Indian market as way back before the merger of IMRB with TAM, there existed two rating mediums called InTAM & TAM.
