Troubled Nielsen to update measurements for local television markets

NEW YORK » The Nielsen company, increasingly under fire from the television industry, on Tuesday said it would soon incorporate homes that have cut off cable in favor of broadband in its viewing measurements for local TV markets.

Nielsen estimates some 20% of American homes are now broadband only for onscreen entertainment. The company already includes these homes in its national TV measurements but in January will do so for local markets, giving TV stations a more complete picture of who’s watching in order to sell ads.

“It’s a big step to making sure that our measurement is really inclusive,” said Catherine Herkovic, Nielsen managing director and executive vice president of local television.

One sliver of good news that Nielsen offered to the industry this week: Viewership for the Emmy Awards, at 7.83 million viewers, was up over the last two years.