Broadcasters - TAM ROW: Discovery reverts to weekly format for TAM ratings!

The standoff between advertisers and broadcasters continues as last month most of the television channels cancelled their TAM subscriptions due to their reservations regarding the veracity of the system. But as an alternative and interim solution it was decided that channels opt for TAM but on a monthly rather than a weekly basis.

Last week, TAM issued a statement clarifying that it had examined demands from clients such as Multi Screen Media, New Delhi Television Ltd (NDTV), Star India Pvt. Ltd, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, BAG Films and Media Ltd, TV18 Broadcast Ltd, Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd, Times Global Broadcasting Co. Ltd and India TV, and will provide viewership data on a monthly basis compared with the earlier system of releasing data on a weekly basis for select clients.

In  a significant development and possibly a crack in the solidarity of the broadcasters on the television measurement issue, Discovery Networks is said to have communicated to the measurement agency asking for a revert to the weekly format. The network had written to TAM recently to switch to monthly reporting of data. A senior official close to the development has confirmed this news to Adgully.

Several  advertisers have sent 72-hour notices to broadcasters asking for their ads to be pulled given the insistence that TAM publish measurement data for the channels only once a month.