The development of a new television rating system that the Association of Digital Television Broadcasting (Thailand) submitted to NBTC for the budget of 288.8 million baht has been approved and signed a memorandum of understanding. The Nielsen will be a contractor to conduct cross-platform ratings both through television and online platforms for 4-year. This new television rating system is the system that fits the changes in technology and consumer behavior in the digital era to upgrade the quality of the industry.
Suphap Kleekajai, President of the Association of Digital Television Broadcasting (Thailand) revealed that the association has continuously pushed this project for more than two years since the Head of the National Council for Peace and Order No. 4/2562 (Section 44) announcement. They recognize that the rating is variable in business operations and development of program quality of digital TV operators, the national media, especially with the change of social environment according to technology and audience behavior in both television and online platforms. The question was how to create credibility, accuracy, and transparency in the origin of samples and research methods in international standards for entrepreneurs to develop programs' format and for media agencies to plan advertising media purchase effectively.
The association with the participants of media agency representatives has conducted the recruitment and allowing qualified companies to present a new rating plan to subscribers of all digital TV operators. Finally, Nielsen company with expertise, reputation, and international research survey standards has been resolved as a contractor to conduct this rating survey. The association then submitted the details of the project management plan according to the condition to the NBTC and has been allocated a budget of 288,898,105 baht to begin conducting a new television rating survey in a timeframe of 4 years.
The key to the new television rating survey is to expand the sample units used as the basis for developing program ratings from 9,000 samples to 13,000 samples. Moreover, simultaneously with the development of new survey software, which will lead to cross-platform TV program rating measurement from both terrestrial TV and online platform. The rating survey will be conducted accurately and transparently by internationally recognized independent auditors. The new rating results will not be limited to using only to digital TV operators and the NBTC, but government agencies or educational institutions can benefit from the rating report as well.
After signing a Memorandum of Understanding last week, the Association and Nielsen immediately began implementing plans. During the first year of this operation, it will be the process of installing the system, equipment and expanding the sample group for collecting survey results. The first cross-platform television program rating will be reported around August 2022.
The cross-platform television rating survey is the latest research system technology that Nielsen has developed and is already being used in the United States and accepted in many countries across the world. Recently, this system has been installed in Denmark and Saudi Arabia. Thailand is the first country in Southeast Asia to implement this new TV rating system.