I found an interesting article over at Adweek. Nielsen, it seems, is trying to figure out how to measure commercial watchers, and TiVo is trying to come to the rescue. Tom Rogers makes the valid point that TiVos measure user actions in seconds, not minutes, so advertisers can see if their commercials are being watched.

To me, this brings up several important points:

-Many TiVo users don't want this data going back to advertisers. They fear that if advertisers learn that they don't watch commercials, then one of the very reasons they purchased their TiVos (to skip commercials) may be moot. Not that commercials will disappear, but that commercial messages will be more heavily integrated into the programming content, and therefore more unavoidable.

-TiVo users feel that they pay for the service, and therefore their data shouldn't be sold.

-Broadcasters worry that if advertisers figure out how few people watch their commercials, the advertisers will stop advertising. And, as far as I know, it's largely broadcasters who fund Nielsen.

-TiVo users are a self-selecting group who probably watch many few commercials than non-DVR viewers.