TY - JOUR
T1 - Peoplemeter Technologies and the Biometric Turn in Audience Measurement
AU - Hessler, Jennifer
N1 - Funding Information:
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4426-1830 Hessler Jennifer 1 1 Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, USA Jennifer Hessler, 607 Shikelimo Lane, Apt# 2A, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA. Email: [email protected] 10 2019 1527476419879415 © The Author(s) 2019 2019 SAGE Publications Between 1980 and 1995, audience measurement companies, including Audits of Great Britain (AGB), Nielsen, Percy, and Arbitron, competed to develop peoplemeter technologies, ranging from remote controls to ultrasonic motion detectors, infrared body heat sensors, face scanners, and wearable devices. In this article, I argue that the evolution of peoplemeter technologies during this era was shaped by the inconsistent cooperation of viewers in the task of being measured, resulting in a turn away from active peoplemeters and toward passive peoplemeter methods. In particular, it marked a preoccupation in audience measurement with biometrics, and a constant onslaught of technological experiments in search of a seamless body/machine integration. In the process, the body became itself a technology: one that, if properly disciplined and utilized in the process of commodification, could make viewers more reliable consumers. ratings audience Nielsen surveillance technology television history Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing edited-state corrected-proof Declaration of Conflicting Interests The author declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Funding The author disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/ or publication of this article: This research was supported by the Alvin A. Achenbaum Research Grant from the Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing. ORCID iD Jennifer Hessler https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4426-1830
Funding Information:
The author disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/ or publication of this article: This research was supported by the Alvin A. Achenbaum Research Grant from the Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2019.
Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/5/1
Y1 - 2021/5/1
N2 - Between 1980 and 1995, audience measurement companies, including Audits of Great Britain (AGB), Nielsen, Percy, and Arbitron, competed to develop peoplemeter technologies, ranging from remote controls to ultrasonic motion detectors, infrared body heat sensors, face scanners, and wearable devices. In this article, I argue that the evolution of peoplemeter technologies during this era was shaped by the inconsistent cooperation of viewers in the task of being measured, resulting in a turn away from active peoplemeters and toward passive peoplemeter methods. In particular, it marked a preoccupation in audience measurement with biometrics, and a constant onslaught of technological experiments in search of a seamless body/machine integration. In the process, the body became itself a technology: one that, if properly disciplined and utilized in the process of commodification, could make viewers more reliable consumers.
AB - Between 1980 and 1995, audience measurement companies, including Audits of Great Britain (AGB), Nielsen, Percy, and Arbitron, competed to develop peoplemeter technologies, ranging from remote controls to ultrasonic motion detectors, infrared body heat sensors, face scanners, and wearable devices. In this article, I argue that the evolution of peoplemeter technologies during this era was shaped by the inconsistent cooperation of viewers in the task of being measured, resulting in a turn away from active peoplemeters and toward passive peoplemeter methods. In particular, it marked a preoccupation in audience measurement with biometrics, and a constant onslaught of technological experiments in search of a seamless body/machine integration. In the process, the body became itself a technology: one that, if properly disciplined and utilized in the process of commodification, could make viewers more reliable consumers.
KW - Ratings
KW - Audience
KW - Nielsen
KW - Surveillance
KW - Technology
KW - Television history
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85074419908&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1527476419879415
DO - 10.1177/1527476419879415
M3 - Article
VL - 22
SP - 400
EP - 419
JO - Television and New Media
JF - Television and New Media
SN - 1527-4764
IS - 4
ER -
