The change to commercial ratings as the currency for buying television ads is credited with keeping and possibly expanding the money spent on TV, according to a new white paper published by Advertising Age. Historically advertisers relied on program ratings to gauge the reach of their spots. The new system gives marketers who were wondering about the selling power of TV new insights into their return on investment and has forced networks to work harder to ensure that commercials are seen by viewers, the paper says.
—Sergio Ibarra