Audience Measurement Services of Canada’s Radio and Television Industries – Meter Methodology

Audience Measurement Services of Canada’s Radio and Television Industries – Meter Methodology

File # 21-0021

Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN)

An ACAN is a public notice indicating to the supplier community that a department or agency intends to award a contract for goods, services or construction to a pre-identified supplier, thereby allowing other suppliers to signal their interest in bidding, by submitting a statement of capabilities. If no supplier submits a statement of capabilities that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, on or before the closing date stated in the ACAN, the contracting officer may then proceed with the award to the pre-identified supplier.

DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK

Background:

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is an administrative tribunal that regulates and supervises broadcasting and telecommunications in Canada. The CRTC seeks to ensure that Canadians have access to a world-class communication system. This overarching objective is supported by three pillars: create, connect and protect. The CRTC supervises and regulates over 2,000 broadcasters, including TV, AM and FM radio and the companies that bring these services to Canadians.

One of the tools the CRTC uses to assess the performance and health of the radio and television industries and of licensees is audience measurement data that provides insight on the tuning performance of Canada’s radio and television stations and services as well as the performance of specific programs broadcast on these stations and services.

Examples of the types of data that are beneficial to the CRTC in its assessment of performance include viewing/tuning time and share of tuning to radio and television stations, demographic information relating to respondents, program-level viewing data for television, as well as information regarding the stations and their respective markets. 

Among the most accurate means currently available to collect radio and television audience measurement data is through Portable People Meter (PPM) technology. PPM technology is a pager-sized device that is carried by a representative panel of Canadians that detects inaudible codes that broadcasters embed in the audio portion of their programming using encoders provided by Numeris. Numeris is the only company licensed to use PPM Technology within Canada and is thus the only broadcast measurement and consumer behaviour data supplier in Canada that provides television and radio audience measurement data through the use of PPM technology. 

PPM Technology allows for accurate recoding of data and has the following benefits:

1. Meters the person instead of the receiver and uses audio encoding as a reliable means of station identification,
2. Does not need to be attached to a receiver, meaning that audiences can be measured wherever listening or viewing occurs,
3. Allows for out-of-home and in-home Media Measurement,
4. Allows for continuous measurement of audiences,
5. Allows for common measurement of Radio and TV at the local level,
6. Allows for multimedia measurement from a single source,
7. Is a system that meets the challenges of digital broadcasting and convergence,
8. Allows for measurement of digital and new receivers,
9. Allows for measurement of digital recorders,
10. Allows for passive audience measurement in that consumers don't have to press buttons every time they start or stop watching TV,
11. Is not biased toward any one medium,
12. Allows for a common sample for electronic measurement for Radio, TV at a local, regional and national market level.

By utilizing PPM Technology, the potential for human error in the monitoring process is minimized, thereby ensuring optimal accuracy of data. The PPM system is also subject to an external third party audit every time Numeris makes major changes to its PPM methodology.

The CRTC does not have the internal capability to fulfill its needs for audience measurement data. As such, to fulfill its needs for comprehensive audience measurement data for both radio and television, the CRTC seeks to retain the services of an established independent contractor.

Definition of the Requirement:

The contractor must be an organization with experience in providing a breadth of audience measurement data and services for radio and television.

The work will involve the following:

Radio broadcast measurement

1. Recording audience measurement data using PPM monitoring technology covering the following radio markets:
   1. Montréal Central Anglophone,
   2. Montréal Central Francophone,
   3. Toronto Central,
   4. Calgary Central,
   5. Edmonton Central,
   6. Vancouver Central.

1. A geographical reference guide containing detailed provincial and market maps, including population estimates for each reported age/gender subgroup in every defined area and market. The guide must also contain populations for counties and provinces as well as an area and cell guide that advises users of the cells contained within each area or boundary used for a survey. 
2. A radio station guide that outlines information about stations and their respective markets. The guide must be made available in Excel format and contain information about radio stations such as station profiles by market, station profile changes, station groups, repeaters, off air & reduced power periods and format names. 
3. A monthly report that outlines key trends on tuning statistics of stations in major radio markets.
4. A report that outlines the radio listening habits of demographic groups in different radio markets.
5. An annual publication that provides an overview of radio listening habits in Canada by demographic group and market.
6. A calendar that details events or occurrences that may have had a particular impact on tuning in various markets
7.  A report that details technical issues that could have had an impact on the measurement of audience tuning. 

   Television broadcast measurement

1. Audience measurement services using PPM monitoring technology covering at a minimum, the following television markets:
   1. Montréal Francophone Extended Market,
   2. Montréal Anglophone Central Market
   3. Toronto/Hamilton Extended Market,
   4. Calgary Extended Market,
   5. Edmonton Extended Market,
   6. Vancouver/Victoria Extended Market.
   7. National Balance, PPM Measurement Outside of the markets identified above.
2. A guide containing detailed provincial and market maps as well as population estimates for each reported age/gender subgroup in every defined area and market. The guide should also contain populations for counties and provinces as well as for specific areas and cells. This allows the CRTC to analyze tuning trends within specific areas or demographic subsets.
3. Preliminary reports that provide information on recent viewing behavior to TV programming in different markets
4. A report that provides weekly data relating to the panel and viewing recorded to different station groups
5. Data and information on trends by reception type
6. An annual publication that provides an overview of television viewing habits in Canada by demographic group and market
7. A calendar that details events or occurrences that may have had a particular impact on viewing in various markets
8. A report that details technical issues that could have had an impact on the measurement of audience viewing. 

CRITERIA FOR ASSESSMENT OF STATEMENT OF CAPABILITIES

Any interested supplier must demonstrate by way of a statement of capabilities that it can meet the following requirements:

1. The potential supplier must be able to provide audience measurement data for both the radio and television markets in Canada using PPM technology;
2. The potential supplier must be able to provide audience measurement data for radio and television to the markets outlined in the definition of the requirements;
3. The contractor must have significant experience in providing a breadth of audience measurement data and services for radio and television. For this ACAN, significant is defined as 10 years or more experience. 

   TRADE AGREEMENTS

   This procurement is subject to the following trade agreements:

1. Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA),
2. World Trade Organization – Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-AGP),
3. North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

   JUSTIFICATION FOR THE PRE-IDENTIFIED SUPPLIER

   The CRTC considers Numeris to be in a unique position to fulfill the requirements for the following reasons: 

1. Numeris has extensive knowledge and experience in the area of broadcast measurement as well as in the deployment of PPM Technology in Canada. Numeris is the only known company licensed within Canada to use PPM technology, Numeris is the only provider with the capability to provide broadcast measurement data using national and regional TV/Radio meter panels employing PPM technology.
2. Numeris is widely recognized by the industry as the standard for radio and television audience measurement within Canada’s television and radio industries and the vast majority of broadcasters who require audience measurement services subscribe to Numeris for such services. Numeris provides the industry with a common point of reference for analysis and decision-making on issues related to broadcast audience measurement.
3. Numeris provides radio broadcast measurement data using PPM technology measurement technology based on panels sampled from the following Central markets; Montreal Anglophone, Montreal Francophone, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.
4. Numeris provides television broadcast measurement data using PPM technology based on panels sampled from the following Extended markets; Montreal Franco Extended Market, Toronto/Hamilton Extended Market, Calgary Extended Market, Vancouver/Victoria Extended Market, Edmonton Extended Market, National Balance.
5. Numeris can provide access to the following television meter data summary reports through a secure site including:

• Daily First Rated / Program Overnight Reports / Prime Time Reports - Preliminary reports that provide a timely snapshot of recent viewing behavior to TV programming in different markets,
• Weekly Intab and Viewing Trends – Provides weekly data relating to the panel and viewing recorded to different station groups,
• Trends by Reception Type,
• TV Meter Databook – Annual publication that provides an overview of television viewing habits in Canada by demographic group and market,
• Market Impact Calendars,
• Technical Incidence Report.

1. Numeris provides access to the following radio meter data summary reports through a secure site including:

• Monthly Topline Report – Trend report that outlines key tuning statistics of stations in major radio markets,
• Monthly Sample Trends and Market Tuning – Trend report that outlines the radio listening habits of demographic groups in different radio markets,
• Radio Meter Databook - Annual publication that provides an overview of radio listening habits in Canada by demographic group and market,
• Station Guide,
• Market Impact Calendars,
• Technical Incident Report.

1. The PPM system is subject to an external third party audit every time Numeris makes major changes to its PPM methodology

   To the best of the CRTC’s knowledge, there is no other provider in Canada with the capability to supply the CRTC with breadth of meter audience data measurement tools, reports and information that it requires.

   GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS REGULATIONS EXCEPTION(S)

   The following exception to the Government Contracts Regulations is invoked for this procurement under subsection 6(d) “only one person is capable of doing the work.”

   OWNERSHIP OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

   Ownership of any Foreground Intellectual Property arising out of the proposed contract will vest in the Contractor.

   PERIOD OF THE CONTRACT

The suggested contract period will be from 1 September 2020 until 31 August 2021 with two (1) one year option periods:

1. Option year 1 – 1 September 2021 to 31 August 31 2022
2. Option year 2 – 1 September 2022 to 31 August 31 2023

ESTIMATED COST

The estimated cost of the proposed contract, including option period(s), is $1,75M including all applicable taxes.

PRE-IDENTIFIED SUPPLIER

The purpose of this Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) is to signal the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) intention to enter into a sole source contract with:

Numeris

1500 Don Mills Road, 3^rd Floor

Toronto, ON

M3B 3L7 

SUPPLIERS RIGHT TO SUBMIT A STATEMENT OF CAPABILITIES

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the services described in the ACAN may submit a statement of capabilities in writing to the contact person identified in this notice on or before the closing date of this notice. The statement of capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.

When submitting a statement of capabilities, the following information must be included: The CRTC file #, the contracting officer’s name, and the closing date of the ACAN must appear. In the case of a facsimile transmission, such information must appear on the covering page while for email submissions; it must appear in the text of the email.

Canada retains the right to negotiate with suppliers on any procurement.

Documents may be submitted in either official language of Canada

CLOSING DATE FOR A SUBMISSION OF STATEMENT OF CAPABILITIES

The closing date and time for accepting a statement of capabilities is July 15, 2020 @ 15:00 Eastern Standard time.

INQUIRIES AND SUBMISSION OF STATEMENT OF CAPABILITIES

Inquiries and statement of capabilities are to be directed to:

Andrew McMillan, Manager, Procurement and Contracting

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)

Administrative Services

Les Terrasses de la Chaudière

Central Building

1 prom. du Portage

Gatineau, QC K1A 0N2

Tel: 819-997-4272

Fax: 819.953.5107

Email: andrew.mcmillan@crtc.gc.ca