Have you ever been a Nielsen Family?

16 years ago

Or do you know anyone who has? How was the experience? I've been researching it online and have found many negative things, of course, because people love to complain. I've found very few positive reports. And not a lot of reports period. I suppose that is because it is so hush hush.

You're not supposed to talk about it if you are currently participating.

I'm really curious about the compensation vs. hassle aspect. It seems to me they should at least offer people 1,000 per year if they do this. I've read about all the equipment involved, phone calls, visits, etc. I'm all for putting my two cents in but a dollar a month or week (as some say) just doesn't seem worth it. Others say they made a few hundred dollars, etc. Nielsen is making millions, I'm sure.

Supposedly (some say) they also want to monitor your computer these days as well. I'm not doing anything 'wrong' on my computer but that is just too big brotherish for me.

I am not currently participating but a rep stopped by unannounced today while I was not home. I sent in the short mail survey not long ago. They left a 'Sorry we missed you and we want to talk to you about being a Nielsen Family' note on the door. The neighbors didn't get one. Seems like they should call first. Apparently, popping in, is common practice as well. I plan on calling her back, but I'm also arming myself with as much info as possible before I do.

Thanks, T.

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Comments (11)

sushipup1
16 years ago
Psychologically, paying participants in any study will often skew results. A $1000 per year would be way out of line, IMHO. I'd think that something more like $5 or $10 per month would be more reasonable. It doesn't matter how much Nielsen makes, they are paid by the subscribers, the networks, who use the results to evaluate how much they then charge for advertising.

If you are looking online, remember that the people who have bad experiences are always the ones who complain, and those who have good experience rarely leave any feedback.

Both points have been tested again and again, and hold true for human nature.
annie1992
16 years ago
I've never been involved and I don't know anyone who has ever been.

Somehow, I think they wouldn't like me anyway, since I only watch the Food Network (and that not very often anymore, I'm so darned tired of challenges), RFD TV, my PBS station and sometimes the Travel Channel, and a total of about an hour or an hour and a half a night. Sometimes I'll go for 3 or 4 days without turning the TV on, so I'm probably not a good representative.

Ashley, she'd watch TV 24 hours a day, if she could, she'd be great and she'd think she'd gone to heaven if she could get paid for watching TV!

Annie
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lindac
16 years ago
I have been a "Neilsen Family". It was for a short time....like a month maybe 5 weeks...I was given a book with days and hours and a place to make a check and write down I think up to 3 TV's that were on and what was on and who was watching. There was, as I recall, even a place to note "TV on but no one watching".
The pay was either very little or nothing....don't remember...so you know it wasn't much.
I kind of liked being a "Neilsen Family" but it was a major pain keeping track of what TV was on and what it was turned to.
Linda C
Ideefixe
16 years ago
Google it and you'll find lots of info.

Here is a link that might be useful: On Being a Nielsen Family
lpinkmountain
16 years ago
We were a Nielson family one year when I was in high school or maybe Jr. High, I dunno, but there were a TON less stations then, that's for sure. I thought we should be very model and only watch quality TV, lol! But actually it ended up being a busy week for all of us and we didn't watch much TV at all that week really, and missed a lot of our favorite shows just due to being busy. It was only for a week when we did it.
dgkritch
16 years ago
We're a Nielsen Radio Family right now.
Boy, are they gonna be disappointed! LOL
Pay? Not much ($5-20 range). Only for one week.
Shrug. I'm not even sure how we got here. :-)

Deanna
trsinc
Original Author
16 years ago
Well, I talked to the rep. She said they don't use as much equipment as they used to but they do still take apart your TV and all that. For us it would be for 2 years, if we do it, and our viewing choices would represent 28,000 households. Hmmm, no reality shows in this house, LOL. We still haven't decided yet. Oh, and they pay 68.00 up front with periodic checks. She didn't say how much the checks are for, but that's better than 12.00 a year. Especially if it turned into one big hassle regarding the TV equipment and all that.

Radio! They'd be disappointed with us too, Deanna. We only listen to it in the car. Did they hook up your car radio?

Annie, they'd be fine with what you watch. They want all different kinds of watchers, which is good. I asked her if I could turn the thing on and off because I often leave the TV on for the dog. Now I'll have to be careful about what I leave on for her - if we do it.
sheshebop
16 years ago
We were selected twice. First time we declined. Second time we did it, but never finished filling out what we watched. Too busy. However, they only paid $1, so it wasn't a big deal. This was about 37 years ago.
centralcacyclist
16 years ago
I have a friend who was a Nielsen viewer. She and her husband moved into a rented apartment between houses. The Nielsen TV came with the apartment. So whoever lived there made a contribution. She joked about skewing the data as she only watched Catholic television. She is quite devout.
dgkritch
16 years ago
Nope. No equipment. Ours is just a survey to fill out.
I only listen in the car too, and not all the time.
Maybe 10 minutes a day or so.
Oh well. Sounds like I'm not alone so I'll be representing at least both of us, trsinc!! LOL

Deanna
happyintexas
16 years ago
We've been a Nielsen family twice and an Arbitron family once....and neither in the last 16 years since we moved to our current home.

Like Linda, we filled out a little book for a month. No moola that I remember.

It was fun because I felt like we got a say in what was on the next year. If I remember correctly, we were big into Airwolf in those days...and very few other people were. lol

I'd love to do it again.

Have you ever been a Nielsen Family?

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