NEW DELHI: TAM India now has got competition. Though in its early stages, a new company called Audience Measurement & Analytics (P) Limited has launched India's first on-line TV audience rating system and the industry player have shown keen interest in trying out the service.

This rating service, named aMap (Audience Map) collects the TV viewership data from the sample homes everyday morning between 2:00 AM and 4:00 AM using cellular telephone technology (See picture). These reports are then immediately available on-line to subscribers through a VPN (virtual private network) connection.

Speaking to indiantelevision.com from Ahmedabad where
the company is based, Audience Measurement & Analytics
(P) Limited MD Raviratan Arora said, "There is enough space (in the TV rating segment) for multiple players to exist in India and , unlike, competition our USP is that we would be making available data to subscribers almost immediately."

Adorer claimed that aMap's daily rating system of providing the TV viewership data on the next day would "redefine the ways in which media planning and buying is handled at present."

The technology/equipment for this service has been purchased/licensed from Telecontrol AG, a Swiss company, and Swiss Broadcasting Corporation. Telecontrol is a part of GFK group.

aMap's review bases have been activated in Ahmedabad,
Mumbai and Delhi at present and each location has over
300 households from where data is collected.

Pointing out that the company has given demonstration of the ratings service to a number of broadcasters, media buying companies and advertising agencies, Arora said that several media organizations have agreed to take on the free service for a month on a trial basis. "As our business expands, we'd increase the data base and add more number of cities too, Arora, who has also worked with Mudra, explained, adding that official website for the ratings service would also be launched soon.