Author: Ucha Seturi

The following may be defined as the current television audience measurement problems and major challenges:

• Incomplete coverage of the market and territory (viewers) - about 55% of the population does not live in small and big cities. It is remarkable that maximum coverage of the territory is also recommended by the European Broadcasting Association. While the ratings of urban viewers define the situation with the regional and local media, this data is as minimum unreliable and to this end it is advisable to take into account at least the case of Ukraine.
• It is necessary to get the internet, radio and printed media involved in this process.
• Transparency of the panel selection methodology needs to be ensured, as well as formation of the trust group that would enjoy a full-fledged mandate from all market players and would supervise recruiting.
• For evaluation of the panel selection methodology, to consider the interests of all actors in this area, and through involvement of the National Communications Commission in this process, their consolidation into a single non-profit legal entity or another form to establish “the rules of the game”, to announce competition on these conditions and to select a provider of the best service pattern.
• No more than 600 people meters are involved in the measurement that by the data of 6 large cities give an idea of the national audience, including those regions, which are ethnically and financially multifaceted with different qualitative features. It is necessary to evaluate also the needs of population living in regions, along with the rating of the regions inhabited with ethnically non-Georgian population;
• According to the disclosed data, only home televiewing is made subject to measurement, while the largest part of. income-earning population, spends little time watching TV and considers the internet platform to be the key source of information and means of entertainment (leisure), and prefers the content of internet to the television. We think that measurement of the internet and internet platform based audience is equally important and the program should undoubtedly regard this part of population;
• Small media companies that are probably unable to play a key role on the advertising market appear to be beyond the measurement, while without ratings their inclusion into the referred cycle is impossible, making them vulnerable to the political and financial influence. The key problem is that television ratings of the Georgian media are measured in 5 cities alone. Rustavi 2, Imedi, Public Broadcaster channel 1 have national coverage, and the coverage of local televisions such as Maestro and Caucasia is limited to Tbilisi city. In other words, ratings are caluclated using the parameter of not only Tbilisi, but of the entire territory of Georgia as up to 55% of the Georgian population does not live in the cities.

The study has been updated, on the basis of comments and remarks of the TV MR Georgia LCC several errors found in the previous version have been corrected. In the research the Statement of the "Institute for Development of Freedom of Information" has been attached.

/public/upload/pdf/Research/Georgian TV Audience Ratings.pdf