I meant to write about this a few months ago, but I do want everyone to know that Coosa County is now officially part of the Birmingham television market. The county was formerly part of the Montgomery DMA (designated market area), but now a majority of people in the county watch local TV out of Birmingham, and Neilsen Media Research made the change in assignment in 2005. This means we promise long form severe weather coverage anytime the county goes under a tornado warning. This is a promise we continue to make for all other counties in our DMA.
I am hopeful other counties will join our market in the years to come. These counties have a pretty good percentage of people who watch Birmingham TV, but are assigned to other markets: Cleburne and Randolph (now in the Atlanta market), Sumter (Meridian, MS), Marengo, Tallapoosa, and Perry (Montgomery), and Lamar (Columbus/Tupelo, MS).
We have nothing to do with county assignments; that is all determined by you. Neilsen will assign counties to the market whose local stations are viewed by a majority of people in the county. Much like an election. If we get 51 percent of the viewers, then we get that county in our market. The issue is a little more complicated these days since satellite viewers (DirecTV and Dish Network) really don’t have a choice in what local stations they watch. But, there are usually enough cable and over-the-air viewers to “swing” the county. So, if you are in an out-of-market county, and have an interest in getting into the Birmingham market, best thing to do is to tell all of your neighbors to watch local stations from Birmingham. I am expecting to pick up at least one, and maybe two, additional counties in 2006.
For now, a big welcome to everyone in Coosa County!
I am hopeful other counties will join our market in the years to come. These counties have a pretty good percentage of people who watch Birmingham TV, but are assigned to other markets: Cleburne and Randolph (now in the Atlanta market), Sumter (Meridian, MS), Marengo, Tallapoosa, and Perry (Montgomery), and Lamar (Columbus/Tupelo, MS).
We have nothing to do with county assignments; that is all determined by you. Neilsen will assign counties to the market whose local stations are viewed by a majority of people in the county. Much like an election. If we get 51 percent of the viewers, then we get that county in our market. The issue is a little more complicated these days since satellite viewers (DirecTV and Dish Network) really don’t have a choice in what local stations they watch. But, there are usually enough cable and over-the-air viewers to “swing” the county. So, if you are in an out-of-market county, and have an interest in getting into the Birmingham market, best thing to do is to tell all of your neighbors to watch local stations from Birmingham. I am expecting to pick up at least one, and maybe two, additional counties in 2006.
For now, a big welcome to everyone in Coosa County!
on January 25, 2006, 10:39 pm
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