OzTAM backflips on catch-up TV ratings rules; Southern Cross Austereo demands breakdowns

Television measurement service OzTAM has been forced to do an awkward backflip on rules that prevented TV Networks from combining new catch-up TV data with the average TV audience viewing figures.

Less than five days after OzTAM vowed to “reinforce” the rules, after both the Seven and Ten networks openly flouted the restrictions, the organisation yesterday issued new rules that now allow the agency to combine national device data with audience numbers.

Peiffer: “It’s undercounting we don’t know how many people are in front of that device.”

“There is at least one person in front of that device,” said Doug Peiffer, CEO of OzTAM. “If anything, we are probably under-counting on the VPM side because at this point we don’t know how many people are in front of that device.”