Nielsen announced that it will not go into business with Arbitron to deploy the PPM (portable people meter, which automatically registers radio and TV signals within a given range of the subject), choosing instead to take a "portfolio" approach to TV ratings, writes MediaBuyerPlanner. That approach will be a combination of its LPMs (local people meters, which viewers have to log in to) with DVR data and the expansion of its national sample to include out-of-home viewing by college students.

Nielsen has, however, talked to Arbitron about licensing the PPM technology to add to its portfolio to measure out-of-home television viewing, reports Broadcasting & Cable. Arbitron has said that the split will allow the company to focus the PPM on radio ratings - its original, primary function. Said Arbitron spokesperson Thom Mocarsky, "The original vision was to build a system with PPM that does both radio and TV. We can now go forward and deploy PPM at the pace that radio wants and just for radio."

In a letter to clients, Nielsen said that the company believes that television will change more in the next five years than it did in the previous 50. Digitization, time-shifting, internet video, mobile media, interactive TV, and home networking will all have a profound impact on the way that TV is consumed and therefore on the way that it is measured.

Nielsen's decision will not affect ProjectApollo.