Issues of validity and reliability when measuring television viewing

Abstract

The aim of this paper is the examination of the way of measuring of tele­vision viewing in Greece from the company AGB. The measuring of televi­sion viewing contributes to the determination of advertising agencies’ choic­es who represent those who advertise their products/services in order to determine and choose the programmes where products/ services are adver­tised depending on the target group they aim at. Critical issues are examined about the way in which research of measuring television viewing takes place. The way results from television viewing may be used, provide another role to these measures apart from the quantitative description of the data since they may be used for the evaluation of the programmes. This is, though, a role that measures were not meant to provide, while the role of television viewers and the ‘exchange value’ that they obtain is shown since their available free time consists of the kind of negotiation between the advertising companies, the television stations and the research company that measures television viewing. That is why the distribution of information about the way measure­ments about television viewing take place is necessary.