Nielsen Adds 2,000 to ‘NPM’ Sample

Nielsen Media Research said Thursday that it has added 2,000 households to its “National People Meter” sample.

The new additions, from outside of Nielsen’s “Local People Meter” markets, mark the first step in the ratings company’s goal of doubling its NPM sample from 5,000 to 10,000 households.

“As technology continues to fragment audiences and change the way viewers watch television, it is essential that we keep pace,” Nielsen general manager of national services Sara Erichson said in a prepared statement. “Doubling the sample is one of the ways we are doing that. The expanded sample will provide a strong foundation for the innovations we will introduce in 2006, beginning with time-shifted viewing data.”