BARB Reveals First Findings Of Future Into View Survey
Bjarne Thelin, chief executive officer of BARB, has revealed responses to its Future into View Consultation, saying the TV ratings body is committed to providing a clear and decisive method of measuring ratings in an increasingly fragmenting TV arena.
Following the consultation in June (see BARB Launches Future Into View Consultation), BARB is looking into three key elements that have come out of their research. Concentrating on the maintenance of day to day TV ratings reporting, development of the service in the short to medium term and the longer term future of BARB.
The survey showed that increasing viewer control is a major issue, with respondents expressing concern in the multiple platforms which television can be accessed. These include smaller channels, IPTV and broadband, along with PVR, timeshift viewing, interactive TV and more transportable content.
Respondents showed a large interest in out-of-home viewing, with a emphasis placed on the need for television measurement on mobile devices.
The survey found that although people don’t as yet have a fully formed view on the expanding TV market, they are very interested in sharing in whatever knowledge there is, and are keen for BARB to help them navigate the future.
Turning to the question of developing a single source measurement system for use across all media, Thelin said that although not closing the possibility, BARB’s first priority was measuring TV.
Thelin said: “Our goal is TV. There is so much going on in television we need to make sure we’re doing it at our best. I’m not saying that if we find a cross-media system we won’t use it, but TV first.”
The BARB boss did not discuss the possibility of using return path data for measurement, and commented that the TV ratings body restarted its Sky+ reporting at the beginning of the week.
Looking to the future, Thelin said that BARB was “putting in place scenarios to deal with the fast changing TV world”. However, he claimed: “Sometimes we can’t decide how to measure ratings until the equipment has been developed.”
He added: “Ultimately we want to continue to do the best process possible.”
BARB: www.barb.co.uk