Nielsen Adding 38 Markets to Local People Meter Tracking

By Andrew Krukowski

Electronic Local People Meters (LPMs) are set to be installed in 38 additional markets by 2011, the Nielsen Co. announced today.

Cities including St. Louis, Indianapolis and Las Vegas will be tracked with LPMs, which measure television activity based on who is watching and what they are watching, including the use of video games and digital video recorders.

The 38 markets announced today were previously tracked with set meters and viewer diaries. This announcement brings the amount of LPM tracked markets up to 56.

When all of the LPMs are installed, about 70 percent of U.S. households will be measured by People Meters

The benefit of the LPMs, Nielsen said, is continuous viewer tracking outside of typical sweeps measurement periods.

(Editor: Horowitz)