Skip to content
News Center >

Nielsen and Waterman Broadcasting Sign Long-Term Agreement for NBC and ABC Affiliates in Fort Myers

3 minute read | May 2017

New License  Includes Digital Sub-channel WZVN-DT2

New York, NY – May 25, 2017 – Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN) announced today that it has signed a renewal agreement with WBBH-TV, the NBC-affiliated television station owned by Waterman Broadcasting Corp. and WZVN-TV, an ABC-affiliated television station serving Fort Myers, Fla., that is licensed to Naples. WZVN-TV is owned by Montclair Communications; the Waterman Broadcasting Corp. operates WZVN-TV under a local marketing agreement.  In addition, WZVN-DT2, the digital subchannel, has been added to receive Nielsen Local Ratings services.

The multi-year agreement will utilize Nielsen’s basic local measurement services as well as expanded Nielsen services that allow clients to make timely decisions to help them analyze audience trends.  Once ratings become available, clients can view their programming or the competition’s to see exactly what program content is engaging viewers most.

By renewing its agreement with Nielsen, Waterman ensures that its local stations have access to local currency ratings data. Nielsen will provide both stations with tools that enable deep and targeted analysis regarding specific consumer segments and characteristics.

“Nielsen’s comprehensive portfolio of local solutions are invaluable in helping us reach Southern Florida’s diverse market, which in turn helps us to serve our diverse community in the best way possible,” said Steve Pontius, Vice President, Waterman Broadcasting Corp. “Waterman is a family-owned business for over 61 years, and our ability to connect to our audience and capture our share of ad dollars allows us to stay in business. We are pleased to extend our agreement with Nielsen.”

Nielsen strives to bring increased ratings fidelity, sample size and granularity to all local TV markets. With the integration of large data sources from set-top boxes, Nielsen’s Portable People Meter technology and the validation that panels provide, local media clients will have access to unmatched local ratings data that reflect true-viewing audiences.

“Waterman is an integral part of its local community and as such, it is gratifying to help them achieve their business objectives and uncover the total value of their viewing audience,” said Jeff Wender, Managing Director for Nielsen Local Media. “We are excited to continue our strong relationship and look forward to providing their digital sub-channel with the same level of high quality service and products. The renewal and extension of Nielsen services demonstrates the belief Waterman Broadcasting has in Nielsen as a close ally that can bring the data and services that are essential to the continued success of its local stations.”

ABOUT NIELSEN

Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE: NLSN) is a global performance management company that provides a comprehensive understanding of what consumers watch and buy. Nielsen’s Watch segment provides media and advertising clients with Nielsen Total Audience measurement services for all devices on which content—video, audio and text—is consumed. The Buy segment offers consumer packaged goods manufacturers and retailers the industry’s only global view of retail performance measurement. By integrating information from its Watch and Buy segments and other data sources, Nielsen also provides its clients with analytics that help improve performance. Nielsen, an S&P 500 company, has operations in over 100 countries, covering more than 90% of the world’s population. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com.

Contact

Dawn Rowan, dawn.rowan@nielsen.com, 646-654-8641