Related Research Terms

Related Ratings Concepts

Metro Survey Area (MSA) correspondents to the Consolidated Metropolitan Stastistical Areas (CMSA) for the country, as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. The MSA generally includes the town, the county, or some other designated area closest to the station’s transmitter.

Designated Market Area (DMA), another area for which ratings data are gathered, defines each television or radio market in exclusive terms. Each area has belongs to one and only one DMA.

Total Survey Area (TSA) includes the DMA and MSA as well as some other areas the market’s stations reach (Known as adjacent DMAs). Broadcasters are most interested in TSA data because they represent the largest number of households or persons. However, advertising agencies look at DMA figures when pruchasintg commercial time for television stations and MSA figures when purchasing radio time.

Average Quarter-Hour (AQH) is an estimate of the number of persons or households tuned to a specific stations for at least 5 minutes during a 15 minute time segment. These estimates are provided for the TSA, NSI, DMA, and MSA in all ratings books. Stations are obviously interested in obtaining high AQH figures in all demographic areas because these figures indicate how long an audience is tuned in, and thus how loyal the audience is to the station.

Cumulative audience (cume) or reach is an estimate of the number of persons who listened to or viewed at least 5 minutes within a given daypart. The cume is also referred to as the ‘unduplicated audience.”

Gross Rating Points (GRPs) are a total of a station’s ratings during two or more day parts and estimate the size of the gross audience. Advertising purchases are often made via GRPs.