Univision has fired an employee from KSCA(FM), Los Angeles, that the broadcaster says was “connected” to a delay in Nielsen issuing PPM data for the market.
Univision Radio President Jose Valle said in a statement that Nielsen had contacted the company saying that “a media affiliated household had been identified in Los Angeles, and that it was connected to a Univision Radio employee from the KSCA station.”
Valle said the second household was “separate from and unrelated” to the prior problem that Nielsen had identified in connection with the Los Angeles ratings.
Nielsen said last week it would delay the PPM ratings for the market for quality concerns.
Today, Valle said Univision investigated and terminated the unnamed employee based on its findings. “We are cooperating fully with Nielsen and the MRC to ensure the industry has quality data. A radio station employee being related to a Nielsen participant seriously undermines the industry and is unacceptable,” stated Valle.
Nielsen stated that it learned that a media affiliated household took part in the Los Angeles sample during the May 2014 and April 2014 reporting periods. The company removed this household from the panel in addition to the household that did not meet its quality control standards last week.
Both households had been installed for what Nielsen characterized as “an extended period.”
The audience research firm says it will now review L.A. PPM ratings data going back a full year. “The behavior of a media affiliated household not self-reporting is a serious violation of data integrity standards.”
The audience ratings firm stated it will take “a number of actions to minimize the risk of recurrence” and intends to review its policies and procedures to protect integrity of its PPM panels.
The company still intends to release tomorrow the Los Angeles PPM ratings that were delayed eight days.
Valle, meanwhile pledged to continue to cooperate with Nielsen and the Media Ratings Council and ensure the efficacy of its internal training and compliance programs, which will be ongoing across all Univision stations.
