VietNamNet Bridge - After a trial run, Vietnam Tam, the Ministry of Information and Communication’s (MIC) system that measures TV viewers' habits, the first of its kind, is now officially operational.

Previously, there was no competition in the TV rating market. The power was left in the hands of TNS Media, a multinational company belonging to British Kantar Media which specializes in market surveying. Its big clients are well-known television stations – HTV, VTV and VTC. 

However, the firm, for years, has had a poor reputation for service quality. Many television and media firms reportedly fell into difficulties because of their belief in TNS rating reports.

In 2008, HCMC Television (HTV) has previously voiced its complaint about the TNS market survey method which led to inaccurate rating indicators. Other television stations, including Vinh Long, VTV and Hanoi Television, also made the same comments.

Previously, there was no competition in the TV rating market. The power was left in the hands of TNS Media, a multinational company belonging to British Kantar Media which specializes in market surveying. Its big clients are well-known television stations – HTV, VTV and VTC.

The television stations, which were TNS clients, all emphasized that the method applied by the firm was outdated compared with modern solutions.

In an interview with Thanh Nien newspaper, the former officers of TNS and experts showed how TNS used to conduct surveys.

Not only were they applying old methods, TNS was also careless in interviewing TV viewers. A former interviewer of TNS revealed that in some cases, the interviewees were illiterate, and the interviewers answered the questions for them.

The survey and analysis method led to unreliable reports. Some interesting films which raised hot debates on social networks got low marks, while other unattractive TV shows got high ratings.

Television stations knew about TNS service quality, but they still had to accept the bad service TNS provided because their revenue from TV viewers was nearly zero and they had to live on ads. 

However, they will not have to do this any longer, because Vietnam Tam is now operating.

Vietnam Tam, using Nielsen’s technology, will raise questions such as Who is watching TV? Sex? Age?  The questions will be integrated into the measuring devices to be installed at households.

TV viewers will give answers to the questions before they watch TV. The devices analyze the sounds from the TV when viewers answer, collect them and encrypt them with a technology called Audio Matching. After that, the encrypted data will be sent to the data center.

Vietnam Tam will be operated in accordance with People Meter, a method now common in the world measuring TV effects, which can bring high accuracy of 95 percent.

According to MIC, more than 100 TV channels in Hanoi and HCMC have joined the measurement system since March.

Tri Thuc Tre