Glossary

Two or more commercials or programs run one immediately after the other.

An ad on a Web page that is usually linked to the advertiser's site.

(or trade) The exchange of advertising time or product mentions for merchandise supplied by the advertiser, usually arranged through a barter agency. The barter contract between the station and the barter agency usually establishes the proportions of airtime to be paid for with barter units or cash.

A service that transmits television signals by wire (cable) instead of through the air. This improves reception and increases availability of retransmitted local and distant stations. Viewers subscribe to the service and pay a monthly fee.

Describes when a station's estimates are listed in a Nielsen Radio Market Report below a special distinguishing line. A station may be listed 'below-the-line' if it has engaged in activities determined by Nielsen to have Rating Bias or Rating Distortion potential. Below-the-line may also refer to a station being listed as an 'outside' station (rather than a 'home' station).

The average number of rating points per spot in a rotation based on the full rotation. best rotation = total rating points for each quarter hour of the rotation / total number of quarter hours in the rotation

Commercials that are scheduled by the station to run at the best available time after all sponsor commitments are met, usually at night or on weekends.

1) An outdoor advertising structure. 2) In broadcast, a brief announcement (usually five to ten seconds in length) that identifies the advertiser at the beginning, end, or breaks of a broadcast. A billboard is usually free, based on the advertiser's volume or commitment with the program or broadcaster.

Total charges to an advertiser, including media and production costs, as well as other non-commissionable charges.

An insert card bound in with, or glued onto, a magazine's printed pages.

Common name for communications satellite.

(or P B/W) An advertising page printed with black ink on white paper.

When a home sporting event is not carried by local TV because of contractual agreement or regulations imposed by a league.

Printing to the edge of the page, with no margin or border.

Series of programs with common demographic appeal scheduled one after another.

(or tip-in card) A loose insert in a magazine. Publications typically use blow-in cards to sell subscriptions.

A free TV or radio spot added to a schedule, most often to compensate for scheduling problems, to raise GRP levels, or to induce the advertiser to purchase a particular program package.

Industrywide nickname for Nielsen Radio Market Report.

A two-part broadcast advertisement; the first part airs at the beginning of a spot set and the last part airs at the end.

A specific manufacturer's name for a product or series of products (i.e., a brand of soap). Brand names are often trademarks or registered.

A number indicating a product's strength or weakness in a particular demographic or geographic area, that can help identify markets of opportunity. BDI = (% of brand sales in market area / % of U.S. population) x 100

A method of calculating ratings estimates that takes into account the quarter-hour preceding the program and/or the quarter hour following the program.

Programs or time periods scheduled to air between two television programs.

An organization that monitors and reports network radio commercial activity, network TV, and selected spot TV. Reports include the position, length, estimated cost, and advertised brand of all announcements broadcast in a given week. BAR reports help analyze competitive spending and scheduling patterns.

One of twelve months in a calendar year that the broadcast industry segments to standardize billing and scheduling cycles. Each broadcast month begins on a Monday and ends on a Sunday. Broadcasters assign weeks to the month in which Sunday's date falls.

The geographic area within which a signal from an originating station can be received.

Identifier within a critical band encoding technology (CBET) code that indicates the time that the signal was originally broadcast.

The amount of money allocated to each market in an advertising campaign.

A series of rates from a station. When the station's schedule is full, a buyer typically chooses a higher rate so spots won't be bumped. When the station's schedule is less full, a buyer typically chooses a lower rate because spots probably won't be bumped.

A market research company that measures Canadian television viewing and reports rating estimates.

(or bus bench) Advertising posters positioned as an integral part of a bench or freestanding covered structure, often located at a bus stop.

A worldwide not-for-profit organization of advertisers, agencies, and publishers that audits the circulation statements of business-to-business and special interest consumer magazines.

A list of scheduled items purchased to run over specified flight dates, including scheduled times, days, quantity and spot distribution.

The individual responsible for placing advertising.

The dates, either daily or weekly, within which a media schedule will run (air).

Television programming delivered over coaxial cable instead of over the air. Firms usually provide service to subscribers for a monthly fee. Benefits of cable television include remote television station reception, a clear picture, and/or special programming. See also cable television systems.

An industry marketing organization.

A geographic definition of broadcast, hardwired cable, and spill, based upon the hardwired designated market area (DMA) universe that does not contain Alternate Delivery Services (ADS).

Television programming suppliers that are associated with cable systems in a market.

The proportion of cable subscriber homes to all television homes in an area. This figure is expressed as a percentage. cable penetration = cable households / TV households

The person or company which owns, maintains, and is responsible for the cable television system(s) in one or more communities.

An organization established to provide promotional and advisory services to the cable industry.

A non-broadcast facility with equipment designed to distribute signals of one or more television stations and other non-broadcast services to at least 50 subscribers who do not live in dwellings under common ownership. Cable systems transmit programming to subscribers' television sets via wires (coaxial or fiber optic cable) instead of over-the-air. The programs may come from the local community or by imported microwave or by imported satellite transmissions. The cable television system consists of four parts: 1) Headend - the facility and equipment for taking signals off the air, from satellite or from microwave transmissions, and retransmitting them to the rest of the system. 2) Trunk lines - the coaxial cable network branching from the headend as an electronic bridge to the feeder lines. 3) Feeder lines - cables that branch from the trunk lines past individual homes in the cable community. 4) Drop lines - cables that branch from the feeder lines and attach to subscriber homes.

Programming carried on cable television exclusive of broadcast signals.

A combination of letters designated by the FCC that identify a broadcast station. The FCC requires stations to regularly identify themselves by their call letters throughout the broadcast day, including when programming begins and ends. In general, stations east of the Mississippi have call letters beginning with W; those west of the Mississippi have call letters beginning with K.

The entire advertising effort conducted within a predetermined time frame, usually driven by a set of advertising goals. A campaign includes criteria such as media vehicle, markets, demos, dayparts, flight dates and spot lengths.

An advertisement in or on a transit vehicle such as a bus, subway, or commuter train car.

A number indicating a product category's strength or weakness in a particular geographic area that helps determine brand sales potential. CDI = (% of category sales in market area / % of U.S. population) x 100

Households with cellular telephone service that do not also have landline telephone service.

The facing pages in a publication's exact center, in which copy can run across the gutter. Advertising sold in this space usually carries a premium price.

The VHF (very high frequency) or UHF (ultra-high frequency) number ID assigned to each broadcast station or cable network. Each station can operate on one and only one channel. The FCC assigns channels geographically to minimize interference between stations.

The number of channels or signals available to subscribers of a cable television system for current or future use. While the FCC has set certain minimum standards, the number of channels and the services available is normally established by agreement between the franchising authority and the cable system.

A copy of a publication that the vendor supplies to the advertiser to show that an advertisement appeared as ordered.

Turnover of cable subscribers as a result of disconnects and new customers.

In print, the number of copies distributed. In outdoor, the number of people who have a reasonable opportunity to see a billboard. In TV, the number of television households or individuals that tune to a broadcast signal or cable signal during a day or week.

The number of newspapers distributed within a city's borders.

Advertising arranged in categories and set in small type.

Classified advertising that has some of the characteristics of display advertising, such as larger size, headlines, and illustrations.

Special-interest magazines with desirable upscale audiences.

1) To obtain a time period for a program or commercial on a local station. 2) A broadcast station's agreement to carry a specific network or syndicated program. 3) To get permission from a ratings service to receive data in tape format.

1) A discount the agency provides either in addition to the agency commission or in lieu of it. 2) A discount the station gives the advertiser when the advertiser schedules the advertising.

An organization that clips advertisements from print media to help check print advertising.

The deadline that a publication sets for advertising material to appear in a certain issue.

The percentage of people who meet the Qualitative Criteria that have purchased, compared to the number of people who have shopped, expressed as a percentage.

A group of contiguous counties combined to achieve minimum reporting sample size.

In broadcast, a crowded or confused mass of advertising activity. The high number of non-program elements (i.e., commercials, billboards, public service announcements, etc.) creates a crowded commercial environment where an ad can get lost.

(or coax) Transmission line for television and radio signals used in cable television systems. A coaxial cable is capable of carrying many TV or radio signals simultaneously.

Publication advertising space one column wide by one inch high.

1) A weighted quarter hour average of programs within a specified daypart. Sample: Monday-Saturday 8:00pm to 11:00pm PLUS Sunday 7:30pm to 11:00pm EST is a Prime Time combo. 2) The combining of two radio stations to add ratings, lower rates, and increase reach and frequency.

In broadcast, a discounted rate offered to advertisers for buying advertising in two or more programs per station, or two or more stations with common ownership.

The combining of two radio stations to add ratings, lower rates, and increase reach and frequency.

A broadcast advertisement, announcement, spot or message aired on television, radio, or cable that is paid for by an advertiser.

A four-letter and four-digit code, assigned by the production company. This code identifies a particular commercial and allows stations to distinguish one from another. For example, a commercial for ABC Incorporated that aired April 1, 1995 might use the commercial number ABCI4015.

Commercial clutter commonly refers to an excessive amount of nonprogram content during the time period, including the number of commercials, public-service announcements and/or promotional announcements that run in a commercial break, stop set or specified time period.

1) A fee that an agency charges an advertiser for time and effort spent selecting and supervising production work done by another company, usually 17.65% of gross production cost. 2) Compensation paid to an agency by a medium for purchases of time or space made on behalf of advertisers. Since the agency saves the medium the expense of direct sales and billing, the medium gives the agency a 15% discount, based on the gross advertising rate billed to the advertiser.

The NAB Committee on Local Radio Audience Measurement consists of volunteer broadcasters from NAB member organizations and other industry leaders serving the research interests of radio.

A space vehicle that receives radio and television signals and transmits them back to earth. The cable industry uses communications satellites (commonly called birds) to relay network programming.

The analysis of rivals' advertising patterns, usually based on syndicated data supplied by monitoring organizations, such as BAR or LNA.

The percentage of metered panelists eligible to be included in the intab sample. A panelist may be ineligible due to factors including, but not limited to, an extended period of travel away from home.

(or contract) A written statement given to advertising agencies by a network, station or publisher when accepting an order for a commercial or media schedule signifying that the order was received and will clear.

(or conflict codes) A term used to define categories or codes for types of advertisers for spot placement and sales analysis purposes. (Examples: auto dealers, restaurants, banking institutions, etc.).

A network that delivers streamed-media information.

A method of scheduling advertising to run on an on-going basis and at regular intervals to maintain advertising presence.

(or frequency discount) A special advertising rate for buying a continuity schedule.

1) A legal agreement between a two businesses that describes the services, price, and payment terms. 2) An agreement between an agency and a vendor (station, publication, etc.) that confirms a media schedule order.

Circulation limited to people who meet certain criteria. Qualified people usually receive controlled-circulation publications for free.

An arrangement where the corporate parent shares the advertising budget and schedule review responsibilities with franchisees, local outlets or product partners. For example, Kmart may co-op with a variety of products like Levi's, Liz Claiborne and Black & Decker. The corporate parent pays a proportion of the advertising costs. Percentage of sales, number of outlets, contractual obligation, etc., determines the amount paid by the co-op partner.

Advertising run jointly by local and national advertisers, featuring both the names of the national product or service and the local distributor. In exchange for local product promotion, the national advertiser shares advertising cost with the local distributor and often provides advertising copy and/or film. The local distributor's name and address will usually appear in the ad.

A measure of media vehicle and schedule effectiveness based on a cost comparison of potential or actual audience. Cost efficiency is usually expressed as a cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM).

The cost of a media vehicle or schedule for reaching one rating point (one percent) of a specified audience. CPP = cost of schedule / GRPs -or- CPP = cost per spot / average rating

The cost of reaching one reach point (or percent) of the specified demographic audience. CPR = cost of schedule / reach percentage

The cost of delivering 1000 gross impressions. In radio: CPM = (spot rate / AQH [00]) x 1000 and CPM reach = (spot rate / reach) x 1000. In TV: Gross CPM = (total cost / gross impressions) x 1000 and CPM reach = (total cost / reach) x 1000. In Print, a figure used in comparing or evaluating cost efficiency of media schedules: CPM = (cost of the ad spot / number of people in the audience) x 1000.

Competitive scheduling placing a program that appeals to a specific audience against other programs that appeal to a different audience. For example, scheduling Wheel of Fortune against Inside Edition.

The largest geographic division of a state, each of which has a representative local government.

In radio, the process of creating a media schedule by analyzing listening in specific county geographies.

The county from which a station broadcasts and is therefore licensed.

The percentage of people over twelve listening in an average quarter hour to a radio station in all counties or county clusters where the station met minimum reporting standards.

(or percent coverage) The number or percentage of the audience exposed to a medium or to an advertising campaign. 1) In broadcast, the percentage of persons (or homes) within a station's signal area, or the geographic boundaries of a station's signal. 2) In print, the percentage of households receiving a publication, or the number of people reading an issue. % coverage = (audience / total population) x 100

The geographic territory in which a cable system distributes commercials.

An advertisement that appears on a publication's cover, usually at a premium cost. "First cover" is the outside front cover. "Second cover" is the inside front cover. "Third cover" is the inside back cover. "Fourth cover" is the outside back cover.

In the Crosstab report, represents the total demographic population who match your demo, geo and qualitative WHO parameters that meet the Rows' criteria (listed directly to the left). This estimate represents the percentage that also meets the immediate Columns' criteria (displayed at the top of the table).

A billing adjustment that compensates an advertiser for lost advertising time, space or coverage, used as an alternative to a makegood broadcast.

As part of Nielsen's PPM system, CBET encoders insert a unique code into the audio programming of each media outlet at the time of broadcast. The code is inserted by adding very small amounts of audio energy to the program in a manner that is masked by the original audio and thus inaudible to the human ear. This process is called "psychoacoustic masking."

Households located in certain geographic areas (markets, market segments, or counties) that have been identified as being more difficult to gain acceptable levels of household participation. Usually, the critical care focus is on one or more demographic groups within the geographic area.

Ownership of more than one communications medium (radio, television, newspaper, etc.) within a given market.

A research process that interrelates two or more demographic or product usage factors.

The percentage of a station's cume audience that meets the target demographic.

The likelihood of a station's audience to be between the ages of the target demographic. One hundred is the average or benchmark. If a station has a cume composition index of 124, that audience is 24% more likely to fit the target demographic. A cume composition index of 90 would indicate that specific audience is 10% less likely to meet the target demographic.

A standard time period, listed in the ratings book daypart summary section, for which the ratings services provide reach curve information.

The percentage of estimated cume persons for one station that also listened to a second station. This estimate is reported for the Metro only.

(or cume) The total number of different persons who tuned to a radio station during a daypart for at least five minutes.

The cume persons audience expressed as a percentage of all persons estimated to be in the specified demographic group.

The number of cume persons expressed as a percentage of the appropriate estimated population for the day or week.

(or cumulative reach) The number of different households that receives an advertising message during a specific time. A synonym for reach.

The percentage of viewers that will see a spot from a campaign "n" or more times, where "n" is in a range of numbers. For example, if the range is from one to ten, the distribution shows the percentage of viewers who will see a spot one or more times, two or more times, three or more times, and so on, up to ten or more times.

Based on customized market areas specified by clients. The CSAR service offers Nielsen Audio subscribers that may not have large numbers in an established radio market an opportunity to demonstrate their station's value to advertisers within a more targeted area.

A commercial for cable TV.

The gross number of people, without regard to duplication, exposed to an out-of-home advertising display in one day.

A daily average of the amount of time a selected demographic spent listening to a particular station during a selected daypart. This estimate, expressed in hours and minutes, is reported for the Metro only. TSL = quarter hours in daypart x 15 x (AQH [00] / cume [00])

Numeric value assigned to an intab panelist on an average day for the purpose of projecting and estimating audience estimates to the population. The daily weight reflects the number of persons in the geographic, sex, age, and (if applicable) ethnic and/or language usage (English/Spanish) group represented by each intab panelist after sample balancing has been performed.

A collection of information organized for rapid search and retrieval.

Periods of time in a day during which TV and radio stations broadcast programs. Stations differentiate programs according to changing audience composition and/or broadcast origination time. While TV and radio each recognize typical dayparts, such as Morning Drive (radio) or Prime Time (TV), the time periods that define a daypart can vary according to an advertiser's preferences. Daypart time periods also differ according to the time zone of a market.

A standard or custom code attached to a block of time during the day.

The daytime hours of programming. For radio, 10:00am to 3:00pm EST. For TV, usually 9:00am to 4:00pm EST.

The date for placing a schedule to ensure it airs on time.

A cable channel devoted to a single source for its programming.

A setting that you want to use as a standard for future use. For example, you may select a specific printer as a standard (or default) that your computer will always use (that is, unless you later choose a different default printer). You can change and re-save defaults at any time.

A local station runs a network program at a later time than its regularly scheduled network time.

The percentage of your average minute audience that falls into a given demographic break. For example, if 20% of your audience during a given minute are M18-54, your Demo % Share (Audience) for M18-54 during that minute is 20%.

The  percentage of your total sessions that falls into a given demographic break. For example, if you have 10 sessions total and 2 of them are M18-54, your Demo % Share (Sessions) for M18-54 is 20%.

The percentage of your total hours listened that falls into a given demographic break.  For example, if you have 10 hours total and 2 of them were from M18-54, your Demo % Share (TLH) for M18-54 is 20%.

Special editions of magazines directed to specific audiences.

A statistical procedure that reduces the effects of differences between the demographic characteristics of a sample and the characteristics, either known or estimated, of the universe that the sample represents.

(or audience composition) Indicates the audience of the selected demo represented as a percent of its total audience. demo share = AQH of demographic group / AQH of total audience

1) A population group broken down statistically by age, gender, ethnicity, etc. 2) A group of characteristics, such as age, gender, ethnicity, income, education, and marital status, used to identify a group of people and their media and consumer behavior patterns.

The actual sample size for a given demographic divided by the target sample size times 100. Should the actual sample performance fall below the set DDI in a given market/survey, Nielsen strives to bring the sample performance above that threshold in subsequent surveys. DDI = (sample size / target sample size) x 100

Nielsen's geographic definition of exclusive TV markets by county. A county is usually assigned to a DMA based on a predominance of household viewing of home market stations.

1) A disagreement between the billing for a media vehicle and what the advertiser ordered. 2) The airing of a commercial outside of agency and/or advertiser parameters (i.e., inadequate commercial protection and/or competitive separation). Usually, a credit or makegood resolves a deviation.

1) A method of audience measurement in which respondents record in writing their listening, viewing or reading activities. Diaries can measure both local and national audiences or track brand purchases. 2) The booklet used by respondents to record listening, viewing or reading activities.

An examination of all diaries in a given market.

The number of different intab diaries in which a station received credit for at least one quarter-hour of listening.

Diversity of programming between various pay cable and subscription TV services.

Special survey procedures used to increase participation rates of targeted demographic groups that tend to be under represented in surveys.

Refers to any type of digital radio service. In the United States it is the official FCC term for digital radio services.

A collection of channels, typically distributed to subscribers as an add-on package, that are transmitted initially in the form of binary code and used to enhance cable TV service and/or two-way, high-speed Internet.

High-speed Internet access.

Encompasses HDTV, or high-definition television, which is a set of standards for video and audio-signal quality.

A satellite service that delivers its programming directly to a viewer's home via the use of the viewer's own earth station (dish).

Letters, folders, brochures and other advertising materials sent through the mail directly to prospective customers.

An advertising message that calls for a prompt purchase commitment directly to the manufacturer within a specific amount of time. Phone calls, online orders and visits to a location are types of response requested in the advertising.

Households receive satellite transmission directly without the intermediary of cable transmission.

The percentage of cable subscribers in a given area who discontinued service during a month or other specific time period.

Subscribers who terminated cable service or were terminated because of failure to pay subscription fees.

1) A disagreement between the billing for a media vehicle and what the advertiser ordered. 2) Inadequate commercial protection and/or competitive separation. Usually, a credit or makegood resolves a discrepancy.

Print advertising meant to attract attention and communicate easily by using space, illustrations, layout, headlines, and so on, as opposed to classified advertising.

A television broadcast station signal not defined by the FCC as "local" to the community of a cable system.

A prerecorded general commercial with a blank time span in the middle for inserting a specific advertising message. Generally, an advertiser with basically the same message but occasionally different products uses a donut to save on production costs and guarantee continuity in their commercials.

Part of satellite communication system to relay information from satellite to ground.

A description of lower socio-economic class lifestyle/demographics.

Cable signals relayed from the primary distribution point to subscriber's home.

Morning and afternoon weekday commuting hours (about 6:00 to 10:00am and 3:00 to 7:00pm), at which times the use of radios increases sharply.

In the Duplication Analysis report, Duplicated Audience is the number of Cume Persons that are shared between the two analysis groups.

In the Duplication Analysis report, Duplicated Audience % is the percentage of an analysis group's Cume Persons that is shared with the other group.

1) The number or percent of people exposed to more than one advertising message within a media schedule. 2) The number or percent of people in one media vehicle's audience also exposed to another media vehicle.

Communications station used to send or receive electronic signals from or to a satellite. Usually employs one of a variety of dish-type antennae used by television stations and cable operators.

A pre-determined number of advertising exposures judged necessary to achieve a positive change in awareness, attitude, or purchasing action.

The number or percent of people exposed to an advertising schedule a pre-determined number of times judged necessary to achieve a positive change in awareness, attitude, or purchasing action.

An estimate of the size of a random sample required to produce the same degree of reliability (amount of sampling error) as the sample for a complex survey.

Media effectiveness, found by comparing audience delivery with cost, expressed as a cost-per-thousand or as a cost per rating point.

(or junior panel) A 5-foot by 11-foot poster panel, also known as a junior panel because it has the same proportions as, but is smaller than, a 30-sheet poster.

Computer-to-computer transmission of information in a predetermined structured and standardized format. In cable advertising, EDI is used to transmit contracts and invoices between cable networks and advertising agencies.

A Metro that has another designated market within it. This designated market is formed by combining some of the parent Metro's sample units.

A station that has received, installed and activated a CBET encoder. The code emitted by the encoder must pass the quality assurance tests performed by Nielsen Audio's Encoding Operations Team.

The last day of an advertising campaign schedule.

The actual rate the advertiser pays for commercial time after all discounts have been applied.

1) A positive referral by a station or personality to an advertiser's products or services, usually live on-air. 2) The notification on the affidavit supplied by the station to the client that attests to the affidavit's accuracy as to how the spots were broadcast.

Ensuring that commercials are scheduled to run in a broad time period or combination of time periods, getting equally distributed across each time period.

Used by agency and copy people, traffic directors and continuity directors to indicate that all pieces of individual copy, or preproduced cuts, are to be distributed evenly across the various broadcast days.

Section 315 of the Communications Act provides that if a station permits use of its facilities by a political candidate, it shall provide the same opportunity to all other legally qualified candidates for the same office.

1) To approximate a media vehicle's future audience delivery. 2) A summary of anticipated media costs for a proposed purchase, often used to authorize advertiser billing and vendor payments.

The projected audience delivery of a future program based on current conditions and past history.

Audience estimates for Total, Black and/or Hispanic persons expressed in hundreds (00), ratings and composition percents. Ethnic composition estimates are based on total Metro intab diaries and are reported for the Metro of ethnically controlled markets only if at least 30 Black and/or 30 Hispanic diaries, as appropriate, are intab for the Metro.

The broadcast time period for radio most often represented by Monday-Friday 7pm-12am, as defined and reported by Nielsen.

The estimated number of Cume Persons in an area who listened to/viewed only one station within a reported daypart.

The right given to the advertiser where no competitor would be permitted to advertise in a specific media vehicle. This usually calls for a major commitment by an advertiser.

To send a copy of information from a place on your computer or a software application to a location on your computer's hard drive. Exporting replaces any existing information in the destination directory with the same filename.

An individual's physical encounter with an advertising medium or message.

In outdoor advertising, the direction a poster faces. For example, northbound traffic can see a south-facing billboard.

The percentage of the base rate that a station applies to determine rates for other spot lengths. For example, a TV station may consider 30 second spots as the base rate. They may charge 60% of the cost of a :30 for 10 second spots and 200% of the cost of a :30 for 60 second spots.

The network television hour between 8pm and 9pm EST when programming is supposed to be suitable for viewing by the entire family.

An independent governmental agency established by the Communications Act of 1934 to regulate the broadcasting industry. It later assumed authority over cable. The FCC assigns broadcasting frequencies, licenses stations, and oversees interstate communications.

Transmission lines made of thin glass fibers optimized to carry light waves. Light waves can carry information in the same way radio waves carry information. Since the frequency of light is higher than radio, light waves can carry more information than radio waves.

(or transfer to accounting) Electronically moving station orders or print insertion orders and approved invoice information from buying software to a financial interface system.

A media vehicle's promise to offer one advertiser sponsorship rights before making a similar offer to others.

If the accounting year ends on December 31, the business is on a calendar year. If it ends on some other date, the business is on a fiscal year. At the end of any 12-month period, fiscal or calendar, the business prepares financial statements.

The guaranteed location of a commercial in a particular vehicle.

The rate charged for a fixed-position commercial, usually a nonpreemptible premium rate.

In outdoor posters, a tear in the paper causing the advertisement to hang loose. When the wind blows, the poster can flap back and forth like a flag.

A print advertising rate not subject to discount.

A scheduling tactic that alternates periods of advertising activity with periods of no activity. Also, a group of like rows contained in a schedule sharing the same values with a defined flight name and number of weeks.

The dates within which a media schedule will run (air). A schedule has an overall flight date span which is defined from the flight calendar dialog, then each schedule flight is assigned some or all of the weeks selected from the overall flight span.

The goal amounts assigned to the specific days or weeks in a flight.

The number of days or the number of weeks in a campaign, depending on the buying period.

The sum of the amounts assigned to specific days or weeks in a flight.

In Tapscan, the ability to organize the schedule into flight groups which contain a set of rows with the same dayparts, spots and rates across all weeks assigned to the flight.

A scheduling tool that visually plots the elements of an advertising campaign across a period of time.

The geographic area on earth where a satellite signal can be received.

A policy that prevents advertisers from buying advertising space in only one publication of a group of publications owned by the same company. A typical forced combination requires advertisers to buy space in an evening newspaper when they buy space in a co-owned morning newspaper.

The type of music or talk that a radio station broadcasts, such as "Contemporary Hits" or "News.".

(or P 4-C) An advertising page that uses three colors (and/or combinations of these colors) plus black and white.

Print advertising space that covers less than a full page.

(or partial showing) An outdoor advertising showing of fewer than 25 posters.

A term applied to the increasing number of audience subdivisions that altogether make up total TV set usage. Fragmentation can result from growth in the number of program alternatives (like broadcast and cable channels), from an increase in the number of specific interests to which those alternatives appeal, or from other uses of the TV set--VCR recording and playback, videodisc playback, etc.

A contract between state and/or local government and a cable television service awarding the right to install coaxial or fiber optic cable in a community.

A geographic area awarded to a cable company as a result of its application to the local government for such area. The cable company can seek paying subscribers in that area.

Circulation at no charge to the reader. Publications with free circulation often also have controlled circulation.

A preprinted advertising message inserted, but not bound, into print media (usually newspapers).

The average number of times an individual (or household) sees or hears an advertising message, an advertising campaign, or a specific media vehicle. In radio: frequency = (AQH [00] x spots) / reach. In TV: frequency = GRPs / reach

A breakdown of the exact number of times various audience subgroups saw or heard the advertising message.

Television time periods that precede and follow Prime Time, usually 4:00pm to 7:30pm and after 11:30pm EST. News programming is not usually considered fringe time.

Creating a schedule that places more commercials on days that have less demand and fewer commercials on days with the heaviest demand. If a station is heavily sold on Thursday and Friday but has fewer sales on Monday and Tuesday, a frontloaded order for Monday through Friday might place four (4) commercials per day on Monday and Tuesday, three (3) on Wednesday, and two (2) on Thursday and Friday.

A folded advertising page that, when unfolded, is larger than the regular page.

A magazine with universal appeal, as opposed to a magazine targeted at a specific, narrow audience.

A specific region defined with a specific goal in mind (i.e., DMA, ADI), based on population marketing, etc.

A factor (usually an index) assigned to defined areas based on "performance" above/below the norm.

A set of targets that a media campaign aims to achieve, including budget, demos, reach, frequency.

Allowances for older cable systems to continue operating for a time under conditions that were permitted at the time these businesses were established, even though new businesses are subject to other regulations.

(or total audience) The total number of persons or households reached by multiple media in a schedule or a campaign in a single medium. Subtract duplicated audience members to find net audience.

(or gross rate) The total dollar amount for advertising, not counting any deductions for tax, commission, or additional client discounts.

The number of individuals or households delivered by a media schedule, generally measured in thousands (000).

The sum of all rating points achieved in a given broadcast advertising schedule. One rating point equals 1% of the audience for the coverage base of a given medium. In radio, calculate as: GRPs = average quarter-hour rating x number of spots. Or GRPs = reach x frequency.

The difference between a schedule's accumulated GRPs and a schedule's GRP target.

A broadcast worksheet and report that profiles the impact of each station's schedule as well as the schedule's totals as compared to the GRP target.

The number of GRPs set for a schedule's goal.

1) A station promise to honor a specific commercial rate for an agreed upon period of time which is linked to certain criteria, such as schedules previously purchased, a minimum volume of business placed by the client or the rate charged by the station to other clients. 2) Promise of spot placement or schedule clearance, frequently determined by the class of rate paid for the spot or schedule.

The inside page margins next to a publication's binding.

Transit car cards that appear in half the buses or transit cars of a system.

An outdoor advertising showing of 50 posters.

A cable advertising company that airs the same advertisers at the same time on multiple systems and networks.

A group of commercials that must run in the same order every time it is aired. See also pod.

Physical components such as electronic equipment of the cable industry (dishes, satellites, coaxial cable) or the computer industry (monitor, hard drives, printers).

Cable television viewing via wires (i.e., coaxial or fiber optic) instead of over the air.

Facility for signal processing with electronic equipment used to receive and send signals. It is the equipment located at the starting point of the cable system and includes antenna, amplifier, and scramblers. See also cable television system.

In the Crosstab Report, Headline Totals  is the total number of people who meet the immediate Columns' criteria (listed directly at the top of the column), regardless if they do or do not meet the Rows' criteria (listed on the immediate left). Appears as last row for each estimate tab.

The height of a media station's broadcast tower (represented in meters in the Nielsen Radio Market Reports).'; break;

A scheduled period during which there is no advertising activity.

Generally, any system transmitting television signals with more lines per picture frame than the current U.S. standard of 525 lines per frame.

A zip code-defined sampling unit that may be established in a county within the Metro of an ethnically controlled market. The specific criteria for establishing, retaining or eliminating an HDA are outlined in a separate publication titled "Nielsen Radio Description of Diary Methodology".

A county with a large intab sample (the number of completed diaries used to create audience estimates). Persons 12+, Persons 18+, Men 18+, Women 18+, Persons 12-34, Persons 18-34, Persons 25-54, Persons 35-64 and Persons 35+ are the available demos for higher intab counties.

A part of the negotiation process (usually in network television) when a network removes a pending order from sale to permit time for an agency to get client authorization to make the buy.

The market where a station's broadcast signal originates.

Generally, any station licensed to a city located within a particular Nielsen radio Metro (or a reported The Nielsen Company DMA). A station that is not licensed to a city within a Nielsen radio Metro may be granted "home" status if it meets certain criteria.

Homes that are connected or could be connected to a local cable system because the cables are in the immediate area.

The total number of different people listening to or watching a broadcast during the same time period on successive days of the week.

A business or trade publication of interest to one job function in a variety of fields.

The scheduling of broadcast spots at the same time of day on different days of the week.

A section of a radio market report that breaks out listening on an hourly basis Monday through Friday, 5:00am to 1:00am.

Residences sharing a common entrance and cooking facilities, so defined by the US Bureau of the Census.

The percentage of households within a cable TV service area that elect to subscribe. If 7,500 homes within a 10,000-household service area subscribe, the household penetration level would be expressed as 75%.

A Nielsen term referring to the total number of television homes using their television sets during a given time period. Nielsen expresses HUT as a percentage of the population or as a number that represents the thousands of homes viewing television. You usually calculate a percentage HUT as: HUT = (rating / share) x 100.

A company's own publication.

Any unusual advertising or promotional activity conducted by a radio broadcaster that is specifically designed to inflate audiences during a survey.

A short on-air sponsor mention.

To bring in a copy of information to a place on your computer or a software application from another place. Importing replaces any existing information in the destination directory with the same filename.

(or gross impressions) The number of individuals or households exposed to a media schedule.

The set of stations that qualify for minimum reporting standards for the metro in an applicable Nielsen Radio Market Report(RMR). See also reporting standards.

A local broadcast station not affiliated with a national network.

A ratio in percentage terms that relates a number to some stated base or average. Used to quickly show relationships between a particular audience and a product or activity.

An outdoor location that has room for only one billboard.

People who read a magazine or newspaper in their own home.

A commercial that airs within a program, as opposed to airing between two programs.

1) A one-page or multi-page print advertisement distributed with, but not necessarily bound into, a publication. 2) An advertisement enclosed with bills or letters.

1) In print, one line in an insertion order that specifies one advertisement's size, rate, frequency, and so on. 2) In cable, the actual playing of a commercial at the headend facility. When the insertion equipment receives a cue tone from the satellite, it inserts the cut into the broadcast.

A statement from an advertising agency to a media vehicle that accompanies advertisement copy and specifies one or more advertisement insertions.

(or intabulation) The number of usable diaries tabulated in producing a report.

Total individuals who returned usable diaries (intab) divided by sample target.

The percentage of metered panelists who wear or carry their meters for a time sufficient to be intab for that day.

The number of completed diaries actually used by research organizations to create audience estimates.

The number of usable diaries Nielsen plans to obtain to meet customer commitments in representing the listening for the market.

Cable system capable of communications two ways - from home-to-station as well as from station-to-home. This cable technology allows the viewer to order merchandise or participate in opinion polls or respond to programming in some other direct fashion via cable.

A phone technology that allows a computer to detect voice and touch tones using a normal phone call. The IVR system can respond with pre-recorded or dynamically generated audio to further direct callers on how to proceed with a series of simple menu choices.

The joining of several cable systems in one geographic area to facilitate sales of local or regional advertising.

Uses a two-way digital broadcast signal that is sent through a switched telephone or cable network by way of a broadband connection, along with a set-top box programmed with software than can handle viewer requests to access media sources. A television is connected to the set-top box that handles the task of decoding the IP video and converts it into standard television signals.

A blanket term for pop-up ads on the Web.

A station or network's unsold time that is available to advertisers.

A document requesting payment for an order. The document shows the items purchased, the price and quantity, the billing date, and the amount owed.

A print advertisement surrounded by editorial material and not adjacent to any other advertising.

A print advertisement prepared for a small page size, but run in a publication with a larger page size. Editorial matter fills the extra space. Similarly, a "Digest unit" is a Reader's Digest-size advertising page that appears in a larger magazine.

A spot that runs outside the time period specified because the program ordered runs late. This is usually caused by sports or significant political events.

The embedding of multiple CBET codes into an audio broadcast.

The broadcast program positioned immediately before the time period or program being analyzed.

The broadcast program positioned immediately after the time period or program being analyzed.

1) The minimum amount of time necessary for the station to be informed in advance of schedule placement, or changes that are requested by the client in a buy already scheduled to run. 2) The amount of time between the announcement of a possible campaign and the actual dates it is scheduled to run.

The intab is the number of usable diaries tabulated in producing an Nielsen Radio Market Report (RMR). If there are less than 30 usable diaries based on the selections made by the user and the user selected standard criteria selections, then a message notes that there are less than 30 intab and ratings display. If the user selected non-standard criteria selections and there are less than 30 usable diaries for the selections, then the message prompts the user to broaden their selections.

The increase in basic cable penetration brought about by the introduction of a new service or program (like pay TV).

The print advertising rate established by the number of agate lines of space used. This measurement is becoming obsolete as the use of agate-line measurements declines.

The order of programs to broadcast.

The total geographic area covered by a radio station's signal, usually divided into primary and secondary areas.

Places for which Nielsen Audio reports audience estimates (At Home, In Car, At Work, Other)

(or live read or voice read) A commercial read live on-air by a station personality, in "real time," as opposed to a prerecorded broadcast.

Commercials placed by regional or community advertisers for the region's or community's market only.

In radio, a marketing agreement that combines the sales forces of multiple stations in a market. The FCC allows for single market ownership to encompass up to four stations in a market. Many times, that owner will use one sales force and sell all two, three, or four stations as a "package." A spot bought on an LMA generally buys one on each station.

A syndicated report for a designated market; also known as SRMR (Standard Radio Market Report) or RMR (Radio Market Report).

Small radio stations (10- to 100-watts ERP).

A county with a low intab sample (the number of completed diaries used to create audience estimates). Persons 12+ is the only demo available for lower intab counties.

The lowest rate offered by the station to any regularly scheduled advertiser for a specific class and amount of advertising.

According to the FCC, one of the top 100 television markets in the United States. Subdivided into the first fifty markets and second fifty major television markets.

An advertising spot that replaces an announcement the station or network failed to air. The replacement spot should have a position or time period comparable to the original spot.

Those stations whose signals must be carried by cable systems according to FCC rules. In general, these include all local stations which request carriage, plus specialty stations and outside stations that are significantly viewed off-air in the cable community.

A geographic area defined by a marketing research company (i.e., Nielsen).

A service to newspapers that supplies pictures and drawings for use in advertisements. The service may offer entire prepared advertisements. (Mat is slang for matrix.).

In the Mean and Median report, Mean represents the average answer value from respondents within the selected geography area and demographic who met the qualitative criteria (if any) and selected row category.

(or keyline) A camera-ready pasteup of artwork that includes type, photography, and artwork or line art all on one piece of artboard.

The vehicles used to convey advertising messages to the public.

In the Mean and Median report, Median represents the midpoint answer value from respondents within the selected geography area and demographic who met the qualitative criteria (if any) and selected row category. Median differs from mean/average; median provides a measure of central tendency not skewed by extreme responses at either end of the spectrum.

Time periods corresponding to individual days of the week used to organize panelist exposure data. The media day in Nielsen Audio's panel design begins at 4am and ends at 4am the next day.

The use of two or more different media forms in the same advertising plan.

An advertising schedule designed to meet specific marketing objectives, based on extensive media and marketing analysis.

Summing common estimates, like investments, across different media types.

Any vehicle used to convey an advertising message to the public, such as television, radio, newspapers, magazines, direct mail, billboards, etc.

Promotional activities that media (purchased for advertising) provides free or at a nominal charge.

A marketing research device that measures a behavior of research participants, such as television viewing.

A market that obtains ratings from a sample of television households with a meter attached to the television set to monitor viewing.

Indicates the time when the meter detects and stores a CBET code.

A specific area of measurement that is a part of the DMA, usually a smaller independent area, such as Springfield metro in the market area Springfield, Champaign, Decatur.

A number representing the metropolitan area affiliated with a station.

One or more counties that includes a central urban area, defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. Economic and social relationships between the central and outlying counties meet specific criteria pertaining to population, metropolitan character, and social integration.

As defined by the U.S. Government's Office of Management and Budget, a freestanding metropolitan area, surrounded by nonmetropolitan counties and not closely associated with other metropolitan areas.

Total reported exposure to encoded media in the Metro (could refer to AQH or Cume estimates). This is also referred to as Persons Using Measured Media (PUMM).

A high-frequency radio wave that can be used for the transmission of television signals. Microwaves are easily disturbed by trees or buildings in their path.

(or daytime) The late morning-early afternoon broadcast time period for radio, most often represented by Monday-Friday 10am-3pm, as defined and reported by Nielsen.

All stations listed in a radio market report must achieve the minimum amounts of listening during a survey.

The particular group of panelists being sample-balanced together. A model may correspond to an entire Metro, to race, or to ethnicity within a particular Metro.

A county with a medium intab sample. Persons 12+, Persons 18+, Persons 12-34 and Persons 35+ are the available demos for a moderate intab county.

(or AM drive) The early morning broadcast time period for radio, most often represented by Monday-Friday 5am-10am, as defined and reported by Nielsen.

The average of two or more ratings books for households using television (HUTs).

In radio, to obtain estimates in a market where a county and/or demographic does not have at least 30 diaries, multibook averaging combines up to five surveys to reach that intab.

A multi-city identification, with the city of license required to be named first in all multi-city identification announcements.

The use of two or more media in an advertising promotion. Often, a primary medium supports a secondary medium. Most campaigns use several media to try to maximize the overall exposure rate both by reaching many different people, and by reaching the same people more than one time.

A probability sampling technique in which more than one person in sample households is included in the survey. Nielsen Audio includes all persons age 12 or over from each sampled household in its samples for radio surveys.

A company which owns more than one cable system.

Programs oriented toward specific demographic audiences or limited interest groups, like children's programming or programs on specific leisure-time activities.

1) Advertising placed by companies with national or regional distribution. The campaign runs in many markets outside their "home" area or region. 2) Advertising placed by agencies that is scheduled to run in markets other than where the agency is based.

Organization of radio and television station owners which sets and maintains standards of practice for the broadcasting industry.

Organization of cable system owners, operators, manufacturers, and distributors.

An association of radio station executives headquartered in Washington, DC.

A Nielsen report of respondent level radio data for all or any combination of U.S. markets for creating custom geographies.

Organization responsible for setting television and video standards in the U.S.

The bargaining that occurs between buyers and sellers over the price, position, ratings, etc. that make up a media schedule.

The percentage of viewers that will see a spot from a campaign exactly "n" times, where "n" is in a range of numbers. For example, if the range is from one to ten, the distribution shows the percentage of viewers who will see a spot exactly once, exactly twice, exactly three times, and so on, up to exactly ten times.

(or net cost) The gross cost of a commercial within a TV program, minus agency commission, client discount, and/or tax.

The number of a potential audience exposed to a specific vehicle or media schedule at least once within a given time period.

In television or radio, a group of stations that broadcasts programs simultaneously, or an organization that supplies programming to a group of stations.

An agreement between a radio station and a network in which the station agrees to broadcast network commercials and/or network programming of various types.

An organization of researchers from networks reported in RADAR dedicated to improving the quality of national radio measurements.

An organization that promotes newspaper advertising by offering research results and marketing data to advertisers and agencies and by providing tools and upgrading selling skills for the staffs of member newspapers.

A firm that sells special material such as features, photographs, comic strips, and cartoons for publication in newspapers.

Circulation sold individually, such as at newsstands, rather than by subscription.

A print advertising position, often at premium rates, that appears next to news or editorial material.

(or Advisory Council or the Nielsen Audio Advertiser/Agency Advisory Council) A list of members is available at the Nielsen Web site, www.nielsen.com/audio.

A report providing audience estimates for Hispanic household viewing levels.

A syndicated Nielsen report that contains audience estimates for a specified survey period in a particular Nielsen-defined market, audience trends based on prior Nielsen radio surveys, and general market information.

A local television viewing report conducted at least twice a year and more often in major markets.

A Nielsen biweekly report on national network television viewing.

Commercials provided to the advertiser without a fee, usually in return for commercials purchased in other dayparts at higher rates.

Commercials that were negotiated but could not be scheduled due to a variety of reasons including tight inventory, offensive products, business conflicts, or the advertiser requested the commercial not be cleared in particular programs. In such cases, the station will often try to offer a solution (e.g. opening up dayparts, making commercials good within flight to move the spots from one week to another, etc.).

Editing of household diaries to give credit to a local station for cable household viewing which has been improperly credited to a distant signal (outside station) by the diary keeper.

Any type of non-radio media that you want to add to a Tapscan proposal.

Audio content a consumer can access at any time rather than at an appointed time. On demand content may be derived from an over-the-air source or it may be digital-only content.

A spot that runs once only, purchased outright or accepted as a makegood.

The maximum rate charged by a magazine or newspaper for one insertion.

The ideal media schedule which, if purchased, would achieve all goals and targets.

A philosophy of buying and scheduling commercials designed to reach the majority of a radio station's cume audience three or more times in a week by distributing commercials evenly Monday through Sunday from 6am to midnight.

A scheduling method that rotates a commercial spot evenly within a group of two to four programs. Ratings data for an orbit comes from the Program Average tape for the selected programs.

The media schedule placed by the buyer with the broadcast vendor.

Display advertising, such as billboards or posters, located outside along highways and railroads, on rooftops and walls, at bus stops, etc.

A professional organization for the outdoor advertising industry.

A system of grading a poster panel's visibility.

Media consumed only outside of the home, such as outdoor, transit, or in-store media.

People who read a magazine someplace other than in their own home.

A station that is not "home" to a particular Metro and/or DMA. See also "home station"

Another name for a media provider. Outlets can be stations, print publications or shopping centers, to name a few.

Competing cable systems covering the same geographic area.

The amount of total ratings achieved above the stated goal.

The overnight broadcast time period for radio is most often represented by Monday through Sunday from midnight to 6am as defined by Nielsen. An individual station's daypart(s) will not necessarily conform to this standard definition(s).

Television ratings drawn from households in metered markets, available the day after broadcast.

1) In broadcast, a reason for a makegood spot when a program airs longer than its scheduled time period. For example, a baseball game may overrun the programming schedule. 2) In print, more copies than the expected distribution to cover unexpected needs, like damaged or lost copies and requests for back issues or samples.

A local station that a network owns and operates.

A group of television or radio programs a station or network offers to an agency, often at a discounted rate, in response to its target audience, budget and GRP goals.

A contract or order that charges a flat, fixed amount per invoice regardless of the number of commercials or other programs or features broadcast.

1) The number of print copies that audience members purchase. 2) A classification of publication subscriptions or purchases that the ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulations) reports, based upon payment in accordance with standards the ABC sets.

(or paint) An outdoor structure with preprinted vinyl or painted advertising.

A single outdoor billboard or transit advertising unit.

A person participating in the PPM ratings panel.

A station that transmits programming to a satellite station.

(or secondary readers) Readers of a publication who acquire a copy other than by purchase or subscription.

Studios that broadcast breaks at the same time every day. For example, CNN is a patterned network.

Any of a number of program services for which cable subscribers pay a monthly charge in addition to the basic cable subscription fee.

Pay TV for which subscribers pay on a program basis rather than on a monthly subscription basis.

The pay TV subscriber population, expressed as a percentage of passings (first) and basic subscribers (second). In a system of 100 passings and 59 basic subscribers, 20 pay subscribers represent pay saturation of 20% of passings and 33.9% of basics.

Television service supported by viewers as distinct from "free" (advertiser-supported) or public television. Includes pay cable, multipoint distribution systems and subscription television. May be paid for by a monthly subscription fee or on a pay per view basis.

1) The degree to which a medium or vehicle has obtained specific target coverage. 2) The percent of households in a given area that own either a television set or a radio. 3) The actual number of cable subscribers versus the total number of homes with cable service available to them.

A remote controlled, electronic device that records individuals' television viewing with separate, portable handsets.

A Nielsen term referring to the total number of persons watching television during a given time period. Nielsen expresses PUT as a percentage of the population or as a number that represents the thousands of persons viewing television. You usually calculate a percentage PUT as: PUT = (rating / share) x 100

The cume persons audience expressed as a percentage of all persons estimated to be in the specified demographic group.

The percent of a market's budget or GRPs assigned to specific dayparts, lengths or dayparts/lengths.

A popular method of setting advertising budgets based on a preset percent of past or estimated future sales. Advertisers like this method because it is simple and it relates advertising spending directly to sales. Drawbacks to the percent of sales method include the reliance on sales to determine advertising spending, the resulting inflexibility of advertising budgets, and the possibility for over-spending on established brands and under-spending on new or repositioned brands.

In cable, a method of billing a region based on a specific percentage of households.

A binding process that uses glue rather than staples or stitching and results in a square spine.

Direct-response advertising for which the cable network or system running the commercial is paid, based on the number of responses received rather than the commercial time used.

A special magazine advertising rate determined by the number of issues used during the contract period. Similar to a frequency discount, except that per-issue rate is based on the number of issues in which an advertising campaign appears, rather than the number of advertisements.

(or permanent display, permanent bulletin) An outdoor bulletin that always remains in the same place.

In the Crosstab report, Persons Not in Target is the total number of different people (unduplicated) within the specified geography area and demographic who do not meet the qualitative criteria. This is the opposite of Target Persons.

The numerical value assigned to each intab diary for the purpose of projecting audience estimates to the entire 12+ population in a market. The PPDV reflects the number of persons 12+ in the reporting area represented by each intab diary after sample balancing has been performed.

The number of residents age 12 or older in a consenting household.

The number of people within the specified geography and demographic who meet the qualitative criteria (if any) and who made a purchase at the business listed directly to the left. This is the same as the Target Persons value for the purchased answer for each Profile (Store).

The number of people within the specified geography and demographic who meet the qualitative criteria (if any) and who visited the business listed directly to the left. This is the same as the Target Persons value for the shopped answer for each Profile (Store).

Total reported exposure to encoded media in the Metro (could refer to AQH or Cume estimates). This is also referred to as Metro totals.

Persons using measured media expressed as a percentage of the target population.

The percent of people over twelve listening to radio at any given time.

A previously published ad that is to be digitally or manually moved to a new page for repeat publication.

The back-to-back scheduling of two or more brand commercials for the same advertiser in network or spot positions.

One episode of a proposed TV series produced and aired as a trial or test run.

The process of analyzing media and marketing information to design an advertising schedule that meets specific marketing objectives.

1) The total number of outdoor structures under a single ownership in an area. 2) The physical facilities comprising a cable system.

The owner of an outdoor advertising company in a city or area.

(or afternoon drive) The late-afternoon broadcast time period for radio, most often represented by Monday through Friday 3:00pm-7:00pm as defined and reported by Nielsen. An individual station's daypart(s) will not necessarily conform to this standard definition(s).

Several spots grouped together on a tape. See also hard pod, soft pod.

See on demand.

Stations are required to provide discounted rates for advertisements aired by candidates under certain circumstances during the prescribed "windows" before primary and general elections.(For additional information, contact the National Association of Broadcasters Legal Department.)

The total group of interest, market, or universe.

A mobile poster panel, usually on wheels.

(or Personal Portable Meter) A Nielsen Audio audience measurement system that tracks what consumers listen to on the radio and what consumers watch on broadcast television, cable, and satellite TV. The Nielsen PPM is a mobile-phone-sized device that consumers wear throughout the day. It works by detecting identification codes that can be embedded in the audio portion of any transmission.

1) A program or time slot an advertiser considers desirable. 2) An advertisement's location on a page. Special positions may carry premium rates.

A rating delivery recap conducted after a schedule has run, based on the latest available rating books and station affidavits.

An outdoor advertising structure that displays a preprinted advertisement.

Total number of unique persons in the selected demo group for the specified country.

Refers to a class of commercials that are usually purchased at a lower rate with the understanding that the placement may be changed by the station if other commercials are subsequently sold at higher prices.

1) The displacement of one advertiser's local commercial by another advertiser, usually because the second advertiser is paying a higher price for the spot. 2) The replacement of a regularly scheduled program with a special interest program. Preemption may occur on the national, regional, or local level.

Advertising positioned in a specific place in a publication, as the advertiser and the publication agree. Preferred position sometimes carries a premium rate.

Advertising material printed before the regular press run, perhaps on another printing press with greater capability for color.

Readers who purchase or subscribe to a publication, or readers who are members of a household that purchases the publication.

The time period immediately preceding prime time television, usually 7:30-8:00pm EST.

A station's broadcast coverage area.

Time periods covering peak broadcast set usage and highest ratings. For television, usually 8:00-11:00pm EST Monday through Saturday and 7:30-11:00pm EST Sunday. For radio, generally 6:00-10:00am and 3:00-7:00pm EST.

Goods or services that an advertiser offers for sale.

The broadcast vehicle within which a station offers to place advertising. This vehicle has a name or title to identify it, such as Batman, 60 Minutes, Roseanne, etc.

Ratings data that tracks actual program performance rather than time period performance.

Removal of one or more programs by a cable system. Occurs to protect a local broadcast station against program duplication from an outside source, or where the system elects to preempt one program in order to carry another.

(or cherry picking) Selection of programming from a number of available sources by a cable system or a television station. The cable system may preempt specific programs offered by a network to substitute other programs.

A test press run of each color in the printing process.

The estimate of a media vehicle's future audience delivery. projected rating = current share x seasonal viewing level

A short announcement encouraging viewers or listeners to tune into a program.

A group of television or radio programs a station or network offers to an agency, often at a discounted rate, in response to its target audience, budget and GRP goals.

A term that identifies personality characteristics and attitudes that affect a person's life style and purchasing behavior.

(or community service announcement) A non-commercial advertisement broadcast on radio or television. PSAs are intended to raise awareness about specific issues.

A publication printed on low-quality paper that usually includes sensational editorial material. Mystery and detective magazines are typical pulp magazines.

A flighting technique that calls for a continuous base of support supplemented by intermittent bursts of heavy pressure.

A publication sent only to individuals who meet certain requirements. For example, computer information systems professionals are qualified to receive Computerworld magazine.

A person who can prove readership of a publication.

Marketing research data that includes in-depth information on audience makeup, such as age, gender, salary range, media habits, and brand preferences. Firms gather this data through exploratory research involving procedures such as interviews and focus groups.

(or qualitative index) An index that expresses the natural preference for certain products or behavior within a target population.

The likelihood of people who meet the qualitative criteria (if any) and the immediate category's criteria of listening to the specified station (if selected).

The percent of all the people in the geographic area who listened to the profiled station (if selected) and meet the qualitative criteria (if any) that meet the category's criteria.

The sum of respondent's weights who met the qualitative criteria.

The percentage of individuals or households with a natural preference for certain products or behavior exposed to a particular television or radio program.

The sum of respondents who met the selected qualitative criteria.

The total number of people who meet the qualitative criteria (if any) for the category's criteria.

Marketing research data that includes actual numbers of audience members in order to accurately assess market situations.

Generally a thirteen week (3 month) period. There are four quarters in one year.

A 15 minute period of time used to measure audience listening/viewing.

Transit advertising car cards that appear in every fourth transit system vehicle.

Any of five equal classes or groups within a frequency distribution – for example, the heaviest viewing quintile within a sample. Common names for other equal groups are tercile (3), quartile (4), decile (10).

Contemporary Hit Radio, Adult Contemporary, Album-Oriented Rock, Easy Listening, News/Talk, Nostalgia/Big Band, New Age, Classic Rock, Country, etc.

The cost of an amount of time during a specific time period for broadcast advertising or a specific size and/or location for printed advertising.

The circulation of a print vehicle upon which the publisher bases advertising space rates. The publisher may not guarantee the rate base.

A listing published by broadcast or print media showing advertising costs, mechanical requirements, issue dates, closing dates, cancellation dates and circulation data.

1) A rate card section a station salesperson uses to quote rates to a buyer. The section used depends on the amount of money the agency and/or advertiser spend with the station per year. 2) The length of commercial (30, 45, 60 sec., etc.) on which a buyer bases a quoted rate.

Rate guaranteed for an agreed period of time.

The percentage of individuals or households exposed to a particular television or radio program. rating (%) = households / total households -or- rating (%) = viewers or listeners / total viewer or listener population

The actual book that contains ratings information for specified periods of time.

Size of an audience expressed as a percentage of the total potential audience. 1 rating point = 1% of total potential audience (individuals or households)

The broadcaster's sales pitch to justify inventory prices.

(or cume, unduplicated audience, net audience) The number or percent of a potential audience exposed to a specific vehicle or media schedule at least once within a given time period.

A visual breakout of how reach builds over time. Reach curves fluctuate by medium and by the schedule and media combination.

The number of people who read a publication or advertisement.

The number of people who read a given copy of a publication.

A print advertisement intended to resemble editorial matter.

A file format designed for sharing headlines and other Web content. Using an RSS Reader, you can view data feeds from various news sources, including headlines, summaries and links to full stories on your computer.

Consumers are given specific product/service names to prompt a response to a survey.

Percent of consumers who can cite a product/service name within an advertised category after being queried by a survey.

A research technique to determine the average issue audience of print media.

In radio, the analysis of the number of people who listen to more than one daypart. For example, you could look at how many 6:00am to 10:00am listeners also listen to, or recycle into, the 3:00pm to 7:00pm daypart.

A cluster of cable systems. A region may include up to 64 systems.

Refers to cable TV channels, distributed in a regional area, that carry a mix of area professional and amateur sports teams, news, plus some national programming.

Refers to cable TV channels, distributed in a regional area, that carry a mix of area professional and amateur sports teams, news, plus some national programming.

A vehicle located outside a radio, TV, or cable studio and used to broadcast on-the-scene coverage of sporting events, etc.

A firm that represents broadcast stations and cable systems to media buyers. These firms augment a station's sales department in areas outside of its home market.

The station must receive five or more minutes of listening in a quarter-hour in at least ten intab metro diaries (10 intab DMA diaries for DMA qualification), and the station must have a metro cume rating of 0.495 or greater (DMA cume rating of 0.495 or greater for DMA qualification), and the station must have a metro AQH rating of 0.05 or greater (DMA AQH rating of 0.05 or greater for DMA qualification) for the time the station is on the air during the Monday-Sunday 6:00am-midnight daypart for the current survey of the market. Noncommercial and nonqualifying stations are not listed in the Radio Market Report (RMR).

The analysis of a media schedule (that may be on air) for delivery based on newer ratings information (i.e., a new book).

Sampled persons who provide information in response to survey questions.

Ratings data that allows you to drill down to the actual diarykeeper level, to the listening recorded by each respondent.

The newspaper circulation area including the city line and beyond from which retailers draw sufficient customers to justify including this area in the coverage area.

A change made to an ordered schedule.

The adjustment of ratings for all demos based on a change made to the primary demo's rating.

Scheduling a brand's commercial at approximately the same time on all networks or stations in the market.

Replacing cable network programs and/or advertisements with local events.

Color printing done during the regular press run.

Scheduling spots on the various days that the program broadcasts or during a program of long duration (i.e., a different half hour each week of a late movie).

(or run of paper) Advertising that can appear anywhere in a publication. The advertiser has no control over where the advertising appears.

(or ROS, run of schedule) A broadcast commercial with time of play left to the discretion of the station. For example, the advertiser requests WAAA-FM ROS, and the station can run the spots any time.

A binding process that holds a publication together by stapling through the middle of the fold. Time and Newsweek use saddle stitching.

Part of a group selected as statistically representative of the whole group.

An iterative marginal weighting technique used by Nielsen Audio and designed to compensate for disproportionate intab from specified marginal classes. Marginal weighting means that intab diaries are weighted to represent the population for each specified marginal class. The number of geographic marginal classes (e.g., counties, split counties or county clusters) will vary. The number of sex/age marginal classes is generally 16.

The installed sample size objective for a particular Metro.

A process used to adjust the return diary sample (intab) to proportions that closely match the population distribution of the market. Weights are applied to every diary based on the diarykeeper's sex, age, county of residence and (where applicable) race/ethnicity. The weighting process results in assigning a persons-per-diary value (PPDV) to each diary, so that the sum of the PPDVs for each reported demo group, as well as for the total market area, will approximate the population estimates for demo groups and for the total market area.

A geographic area consisting of a county or county equivalent (e.g., geographic or ethnic split county, or independent city) for which sample is separately selected and monitored.

See communications satellite, satellite station.

1) A station that relays broadcasts to areas both within and beyond its normal coverage via satellite. 2) A station dependent on another station for most of its programming.

Broadcasts relayed from an orbiting space vehicle to expand the coverage area of the parent station or network.

Concentrating commercials in a short time period to reach many people and/or to reach the same people many different times.

A broadcast scheduling strategy intended to build reach by placing random announcements on several different network and station programs. Scatter plan advertisers participate in programs rather than sponsoring them. The risk is small since the product isn't dependent on the success of one program.

1) The list of media to use during an advertising campaign. 2) A list of advertising commercials to include in a media vehicle during a specific time. 3) The advance listing of programs with times and dates broadcast by a station.

An electronic device, usually located in the transmitter, used to change a signal to prevent viewing on a normal television set unless another electronic device (decoder) is attached to the TV set to unscramble the picture.

Characteristics pertaining to each medium that vary by season. For example, more people listen to the radio during the summer months.

The members of a print media audience who do not subscribe to or purchase the publication.

A scheduling policy determined by individual stations that allows for a specified time or number of commercials between two competitive products of the same product type, either within the same commercial break or some other period of time.

The total number or percent of actual televisions or radios (not households) tuned to the same program at the same time within a broadcast area. Replaced by households using television.

The cable system headend equipment uses a single tape deck so commercials air in the order they appear on the tape.

The number of times a station stream or other digital audio content was streamed.

The percent of an audience tuned to a specific program at the time of the survey rating. share (%) = households to station / households using television [HUT] -or- share (%) = viewers or listeners to station / (people using television [PUT] / average quarter-hour persons [AQH]

A way of naming poster panel size, based on number of pieces of paper once needed to cover a poster panel area. It used to take 30 sheets to cover the average panel.

(or shopper) A newspaper-like publication, often distributed free, devoted mainly to advertising.

In print, the penalty an advertiser pays for not fulfilling space requirements contracted at the beginning of a given period, usually one year. The penalty is the difference between the contracted rate and the actual earned rate.

The number of outdoor posters necessary to reach a certain percentage of the mobile population in a market within a specified time.

Airwave communication, such as radio or television signals. A radio signal is an electrical impulse created by changing audible sounds of various frequencies into electrical waves for broadcasting. A television signal is comprised of the same electrical impulse accompanied with light waves, to produce an image along with the sound.

Stations carried by a cable system, including local stations which request carriage by system, plus stations which are significantly viewed off-air within the community, plus distant signals imported by the system.

Carriage of station signals originating outside the specified zone in which the cable community is located.

The name given to a printed sheet of a publication after it comes off the press and is folded into eight, sixteen, or thirty-two pages.

The concurrent broadcasting of one station's programming by other stations without any variation except for identifying call letters, frequency, and/or city of license at the same time.

A publication's newsstand sales.

The specified zone of a licensed television station that is not included in the FCC list of first 100 major television markets.

Each system receiving the spot from the interconnect has their own insertion equipment. See interconnect.

A pod in which spots can cross into other pods. See also pod.

The person who buys advertising in newspapers, magazines, and business publications, and sometimes outdoor and transit.

A measure of an outdoor poster location's effectiveness.

A "unique" program that is not part of the regular broadcast schedule and presented on a one-time-only basis, such as an awards presentation or musical variety show.

A survey distributed by the ratings company to take care of unique situations. For example, the Nielsen Olympic Exclusion Report removes the two weeks of Olympics programming from the survey data.

A large outdoor lighted sign.

The amount of programming viewed or listened to in a broadcast area that originated in an adjacent market area.

The amount of programming viewed or listened to in adjacent areas beyond its originating market area.

A portion of a county, consisting of one or more zip codes, that is recognized as a separate sampling unit for purposes of survey area definition or more discrete sample control.

Testing two or more print advertisements by running each only to a portion of the audience, usually in a single issue.

1) The purchase of more than one commercial within a program, usually at a premium rate. Can include bonus time via billboards, or exclusivity of advertising with the brand's product category or all of the above. 2) The purchase of all or part of a radio program by one advertiser.

1) A commercial or public service message time period sold separately from adjacent time periods. 2) To buy program or announcement time on a market-by-market basis from a station's sales reps.

Signals transmitted from a satellite to earth for a specific geographic area that is not included in the main satellite beam.

Usually refers to commercial schedules placed on local cable systems by national or regional advertisers who often advertise in multiple cable TV markets.

The duration in seconds of a commercial. Standard spot lengths are :10, :15, :30, and :60.

Non-satellite cable service programmed by video tapes secured directly from program suppliers.

A measurement system for selecting and placing ad sizes in newspapers.

An area of one or more entire counties that meet specific criteria for population, metropolitan character, and economic and social integration between outlying counties and the central county. The Office of Management and Budget with the advice of the Federal Committee on Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas, which is composed of representatives of the major Federal government statistical agencies, determines the criteria.

A measurement showing the performance of individual magazine advertisements among readers. Starch scores report three percentages: "Noted" is the percentage that remember having previously seen the ad in the issue being studied; "Associated" is the percentage that saw any part of the ad that clearly indicates the brand or advertiser; "Read Most" is the percentage that read at least half of the written material in the advertisement.

The first day of an advertising campaign.

The entity that is the source of radio or television program broadcasts.

The official, chronological listing of the day's programming and commercial announcements for a radio or television station.

Advertisements that appear on posters in transit stations.

An advertising salesperson from a television or radio station.

The percentage of people over twelve listening to a radio station in each reported county or county cluster.

Multimedia delivered over telecmmunications networks so that the viewer constantly receives the media while the provider sends it.

Scheduling the same program in the same time period for five or more consecutive days in any week.

A concise language for retrieving information from or changing information in a database. SQL queries approximate the structure of an English natural-language query. SQL is usually pronounced \"sequel.\"

A member of the general public paying a monthly fee for cable television, subscriber television, or multipoint distribution systems services for personal use, not retransmission.

A television system which, using a standard broadcast channel, transmits over-the-air signals that are scrambled to prevent viewing by non-subscribers. The signals are decoded by a device in subscriber households.

The policy concerning a station's right to provide the advertiser with an alternative commercial placement from the positions purchased according to the original contract.

A radio data type that includes listening estimates obtained from a summary of the diaries for all geographical areas.

(or magazine supplement) A newspaper section in magazine format, such as Parade.

A large geographical area comprising several smaller ones.

A term originally coined for and copyrighted by WTCG (later WTBS) Ch. 17, Atlanta. Now generically, a station whose signal is available to cable systems across the country via satellite transmission. Other superstations currently "on the bird" are WOR-TV New York, and WGN-TV Chicago.

The period of time designated for data collection and reporting. Nielsen Radio Syndicated Service currently has four "seasonal" diary surveys per year: Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.

A seven-day period for which a participant is asked to keep a diary.

Nielsen surveys all television markets in February, May, July, and November. These months, and all survey periods, are "sweeps months."

A sales representative's offer made to get a buyer to move an advertising schedule from one station to another.

Programming sold to a station by contract with terms (including active dates, number of plays, program title, etc.) that apply to all or most program episodes or movie titles included in the contract.

The four digit identification number assigned by Advanced Media Systems to all ad insertable cable systems, interconnects, channels, regional networks and zones. It is similar to broadcast call letters.

A smaller region (system) or city (subsystem) within a cable interconnect. Systems and subsystems form levels of cable advertising that make it possible for advertisers to target very specific geographic areas.

Information about your computer hardware and software.

A newspaper with pages smaller than the size of a standard "broadsheet" newspaper.

1) Dealer identification added to the end of a commercial to let viewers know where they can purchase the advertised product. 2) A code that helps agencies distribute portions of a co-op buy to each co-op partner for traffic specifications and for summarizing co-op ratings and dollar amounts.

The advertiser's desired or intended audience described in terms of specific demographic, purchasing, or ownership characteristics.

In radio, an index that compares the daily time spent listening (DTSL) of a chosen demographic to the time spent listening (TSL) for the station's total audience.

In the Crosstab report, represents the number of respondents who match your demo, geo, and qualitative WHO parameters, and who also met both these criteria:

1. The Column's criteria (listed directly above).

2. The specified Rows' criteria (listed directly to the left).

The sum of all rating points achieved in a given broadcast advertising schedule. One rating point equals 1% of the persons audience for the coverage base of a given medium. TRP = reach x frequency

A publication page with an advertiser's message, sent to the advertiser for approval.

A physical problem a station has with running a spot, such as lost audio, wrong video, etc.

To broadcast on television, to present a program over the air waves.

Household having one or more television receivers, even though the set(s) may be out of order or not used.

Principal methods used to measure television audiences are: 1) Meters - an electronic device that automatically records television set condition (on or off) and channel selection. 2) Diaries - a self-administered questionnaire where the respondent records in writing the household's television activity for a period of time. 3) Telephone coincidentals - a phone interview asking a respondent about their household's television viewing/non-viewing at the exact time of the call.

See satellite station or communication satellite.

A specific marketing area, usually a metropolitan census region, used for evaluating a specific product.

A 10-foot by 22-foot poster panel.

(or gross impressions) The number of individuals or households exposed to a media schedule.

A research technique that determines the average issue audience of print media.

Free shopping newspapers.

Programming services beyond the basic offerings at an additional price increment.

(or til forbidden) An instruction by an advertiser to run a purchased schedule or advertisement(s) until notified to stop.

A specific start and end time for a program (i.e., 6:30pm - 7:00pm).

Television ratings data that tracks viewership by time periods. Ratings in this format do not refer to specific programs.

Exposure to encoded media at a time other than the original broadcast time.

The average amount of time spent listening to an entity (station, stream, aggregator).  Time Spent Listening is calculated by dividing Total Listening Hours by the Cume Persons estimate for a particular daypart/demo/entity combination.

The average amount of time spent listening to digital audio content. Digital Time Spent Listening is based on the number of minutes listened (by daypart, by demo).

An estimate of the number of quarter-hours the average person spends listening during a specified time period. TSL = quarter-hours in daypart x 15 x (AQH [00] / cume [00])

A rotation schedule that places announcements in a pattern that uses all station dayparts for maximum station audience exposure. Actual plans vary from station to station.

The reporting of audience estimates for stations that simulcast 100 percent of their broadcast day throughout the report period, including commercials and PSAs, under a single set of call letters (e.g., the "primary" station's call letters).

The number of hours listened to a station, stream, or aggregator. Total Listening Hours is calculated by adding all the credited quarter hours for the daypart/demo/entity combination and dividing by four to convert to hours.

The total number of hours spent listening to a station, stream, or other digital audio content during a given time period. Digital Total Listening hours is based on the number of minutes listened.

In the Crosstab Report, Total Persons represents the total number of people who meet the immediate Rows' criteria (listed directly to the left), regardless of whether they do or do not meet the immediate Columns' criteria (listed at the top). This is shown as first column on the Target Persons and Persons Not in Target estimate tabs.

In radio, the geographical area that can receive radio signals from an originating market.

The physical structure from which broadcast signals emanate.

A publication for a specific profession, trade, or industry.

The department at a station, cable system, or advertising agency that handles commercial materials and schedules instructions.

A nonprofit organization that audits outdoor advertising structures and other out-of-home media for circulation and number of people reached.

A device for preventing cable channels from entering a non-pay cable household.

The analysis of historical and future projection data to discover patterns.

The final publication page size. After binding, the printer cuts all unbound sides of the publication to the finished size.

The combining of three radio stations to add ratings, lower rates, and increase reach and frequency.

The weekly or daily audience (Cume persons) divided by the average quarter hour audience (AQH persons). This ratio indicates the relative number of times that a program's audience changes. The greater the turnover in the audience, the higher the ratio. turnover = cume persons / AQH persons

A 12-foot by 25-foot poster panel. A 24-sheet poster has the same structure size as a 30-sheet poster panel, but with less printed area.

(or double spread, double truck) A single print advertisement that crosses two facing pages.

A normal television survey that doesn't include any unusual situations.

Limited range television channels 14 through 83.

The amount of total ratings achieved below the stated goal.

In the Duplication Analysis report, Unduplicated Audience is the number of Cume Persons that are not shared between the two analysis groups.

In the Duplication Analysis report, Unduplicated Audience % is the percentage of an analysis group's Cume Persons that is not shared with the other group.

Unidentified listening that could not be interpreted by the computer as belonging to specific stations.

The address, or location where an identified resource is available on the Internet.

In advertising, a unit is one commercial message regardless of length. Radio inventory is usually expressed in terms of units rather than minutes.

The official schedule of space costs as provided in the rate card by the print media vendor. Unit refers to the cost of buying one unit of that print media\’s unit offerings (i.e., column inches, lines, pages, inserts, etc.).

Total number of unique persons in the specified demo group that listened to a station stream or other digital audio content at least once in the specified reporting period and for the specified country. To qualify, a consumer must listen for at least 30 seconds.

(or universe estimate, population) An estimated number of persons in a particular age/sex group and geographical area.

Studios whose breaks in broadcasting vary depending on their programming schedule. For example, ESPN is an unpatterned network.

A station that does not appear in a ratings book.

Part of a satellite communications system to relay signals from earth to satellite.

Transferring, or copying, computer files to a Web site via an Internet service provider (ISP).

A description of upper socio-economic class lifestyle/demographics.

Cable television signals travelling from a subscriber's home to a primary distribution point (headend).

An identifier for someone who uses the system, i.e., a staff member must have an ID to access the computer system.

Anything that exposes advertising to consumers.

An organization that sells commercial time or advertising space to advertisers such as a television or radio station, a rep firm, a newspaper, a magazine, or an out-of-home company.

A business or trade publication of interest to all levels or job functions within a single business or profession.

The scheduling of broadcast spots at different times within the same day.

very-high frequency [or VHF]: Wide range television channels 2 through 13.

The average number of persons watching or listening to a program in each house.

The average number of persons viewing a program in a viewing household.

Technology that permits telephone calls using a broadband Internet connection instead of a regular (or analog) phone line.

An instruction to delay a print advertisement's publication.

A channel that has 24 hours of programming.

1) The readers of a publication who are not prospects for the advertised product or service. 2) Advertising reaching areas in which the product or service is not available.

A transmission of sound and images (like an event) via the World Wide Web.

A seminar hosted on the Internet.

A group of World Wide Web pages usually containing hyperlinks to each other and made available online by an individual, company, educational institution, government, or organization.

Ratings data that shows actual weekly viewing, not averages over a period of weeks.

The Saturday and Sunday broadcast time period for radio, most often represented by Saturday-Sunday, 6:00am-Midnight, as defined by Nielsen.

1) The relative importance of one time period or demographic compared to another in a schedule, usually expressed as a percentage where the total of all parts equals 100 percent. 2) The relative distribution of commercials in one time period compared to others in a schedule.

A method of adjusting numbers or estimates to reflect additional considerations or value modifiers.

Households that subscribe to a cable service.

Defined by Nielsen as women working 30 or more hours per week outside the home.

1) A single cable television headend location/facility. If two headends are hard interconnected via microwave, it is also considered a single zone. 2) A billing area.