The Push for C7 Ratings?

MediaPost’s David Goetzl writes about Ted Harbert, Chairman of NBC Broadcasting, floating a ratings landscape reshaping trial balloon…

Harbert suggested a rise in time-shifted viewing means networks are undercompensated with the current ratings system that drives the national marketplace. The industry standard uses a C3 number, which rolls up commercial viewing over a three-day period after broadcast.

“It’s time to consider a move to a C7 metric,” Harbert said at the NBC upfront presentation.

It was a surprising venue to launch the charge. Upfront presentations are usually reserved for some plugs about network progress and a focus on programming, rather than hinting about contentious negotiations.

Then again, Radio City Music Hall was filled with media buyers, and it was a way to reach masses of them at once. SMGX, the large media buying entity, didn’t seem ready to shake hands, tweeting: “While that is great for NBC, is it good for our clients?”

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