February 7, 2006

• The average American watches the equivalent of two months of non-stop television each year.
• The average US household has 2.24 television sets
• The television is on for more than 6.5 hours each day in the average American home
• About two thirds of Americans regularly watch tv while eating dinner
• That 49% of Americans say they watch too much tv

Top Nielsen executives will provide an entertaining and invaluable look into how Nielsen Media Research Company collects data and how that data is used in the real world. They will also provide information about career opportunities at Nielsen. This a must attend event for those interested in marketing, consumer research, the television industry and those interested in career opportunities at Nielsen. This event is open to all Drexel students, faculty & staff.

Over $60 billion dollars is spent annually on US broadcast and cable television advertising. One company -- Nielsen Media Research -- measures the television audience that determines how this commercial time is priced and what shows stay on the air and what shows are cancelled. Nielsen's research has an enormous impact on what we see on tv and their research expertise paints a detailed portrait of American entertainment consumption and consumer habits.

Nielsen Media Research is the leading provider of television audience measurement and advertising information services worldwide. Nielsen is headquarted in NYC and operates in over 40 countries. Nielsen is a publicly-traded company owned by the Dutch firm VNU, a publishing and information giant with over 38,000 employees and annual revenues exceeding 5 billion Euros.

Nielsen research tells the television industry which shows are hot and which will soon disappear from view. Their demographic information provides details of viewing habits based on age, gender, race and geographical location. In addition to measuring national and local television viewing, Nielsen collects data on Internet activity, theatrical movie box office, sales of entertainment products such as video and audio.

PANELISTS (Subject to Change):

• Anne Elliot, VP Communications
• Crystal Hearn, Community Affairs Manager
• Rika Freeman, Sr. Program Manager
• Laura Greene, Account Executive, Nielsen Station Index
• Frank D'Aleo, Account Executive, Nielsen Homevideo Index - Local
• Tom Scott, Director of Research, Comcast
• Elliott Cohen, Director of Research, WPVI-TV

With the rapid pace of technological changes, Nielsen faces huge challenges in trying to keep up with the impact of time-shifting devices like TIVO, video iPODs, cell phones that show video, and the emergence of the internet as a means to watch tv. Additionally, Nielsen has had to counter controversy and criticism about the accuracy of their measurements especially with regards to minorities.

Event sponsored by the LeBow College of Business and the Kal & Lucille Rudman Institute for Entertainment Industry Studies. For further information call 215.895.0352 or e-mail info.rudman@drexel.edu.

To register visit www.lebow.drexel.edu/rudman