BARB Bulletin – The Parallel Run

RESULTS FROM THE PARALLEL RUN

For most of the parallel run period, up to w/e July 14,the new panel indexed on the old was 101%. Then there was a slight rise for two weeks, but a very large rise to 113% for the final week, w/e August 4 . Some important new weighting rims were introduced at this stage. Whilst the changes were in the expected directions thereafter, their scale was far greater than expected.

This difference is a significant departure from the previous parallel run experience, and explains why no reliable “currency convertor” can be issued until further examination is undertaken by the Parallel Run Group. The indices (below) by subgroup are shown for w/e 4 August , the first period with the full final weighting system in place, but are subject to on- going investigation by BARB. (The ITV Regional indices varied between 99 and 118): Category Index-New Panel On Old Adults 113 Men 112 Women 114 Housewives 117 Children 4-19 115 Children 10-15 121 Howves & Chldn 123

Guest Viewing Guest viewing levels from the new panelhave now moved closer to the levels on the old panel. For the June period, guest viewing was adding +5% to total viewing , whereas the 4 August week added + 6% . This is not evenly distributed by TV region.

Guest viewing methodology has changed with the new system, now collecting age and sex of guest rather than factoring from the average audience profile. Also , the contractors are gradually phasing in a “long-term guest viewing facility” for such long-stay guests as students.

Detailed analyses have been conducted throughout the parallel run toinvestigate this phenomenon. These investigations continue , particularly within individual TV regions.

Consolidation The new system shows that for overall viewing, consolidation is adding some 2.5% to total terrestrial viewing. Investigations are being conducted by the parallel run group on the nature of consolidation for programmes and commercials.

Cable And Satellite Measurement The contribution to total viewing throughout all TV households of other (non-terrestrial) channels in the week ending 4 August was 32 minutes. Becauseof technical difficulties resulting from delays in finalising universe statistics, all Astra data has been temporarily embargoed. There are also variations in audiences to The Children’s Channel which require further analysis. This is now being conducted by the contractors , and includes further quality control checks by RSMB on both the new panel and the old Astra panel households.

A separate parallel run group compris- ing the Astra broadcasters, BARB and the two contractors is examining these data and a further Astra bulletin will then be issued. INSTALLATIONS For the first day of the new service, there was a shortfall of some 65 house- holds on the theoretical gross report- ing panel of 4701 required to support a 4435 household panel. This gap has decreased by some 40 households (after drop outs) over the interim period.

The net reporting panel for the first week was 4207, which represents 95% of the final panel size. Due to the new rim weighting processes employed in the new service, it is unlikely that this shortfall leads to any major skew in the data.

Any loss of reporting households is dueto a number of running problems still being experienced, including failure of recently installed BT lines and channel line – up difficulties requiring engineering revisits.

At this early stage,the installed panel includes some elements of imbalance where the required statistical tolerances have not yet been met by RSMB . These are mainly one-person households and VCR-owning households, and BARB is evolving a gradual plan with the two contractors to have a fully balanced panel as soon as possible.

The plan involves some de-installationand re-installation, and, therefore, a fully balanced reporting net panel of 4435 will occur later in the year.