What is TAM? How TAM ratings are calculated?

TAM Media Research, a joint venture between AC Nielsen Research Services and Kantar Market Research, provides viewership data to all channels – which is further extrapolated to conclude final results. With approximately 10,000 servers all around the country, it has a total reach of around 40,000 to 50,000 people in different parts of the country (based on the assumption that each family on an average has 4 to 5 people).

The selected families that constitute the sample size are provided with specific remotes with unique buttons for each family member. Every family member of the house, in which a server is placed, is provided with a different button on the remote that helps in segmentation of the data as per gender and age. TAM, on a yearly basis, conducts surveys to verify the authenticity of the data. However, the locations of the selected servers are not disclosed in the public domain because of confidential reasons.

TAM has divided markets geographically to maintain heterogeneity among the people being analysed. Also, the data is analysed differently according to the language preferences of regions. There also exist certain Hindi Speaking Markets (HSM). The final numbers are divulged in something known as Gross Viewership in Thousands (GVT).

The viewership of a particular person is considered only if he watches a show for one minute at a stretch. The calculation of GVT is done as per the formulas and statistical methods adopted by TAM which is further used by the client, including the news channels.