Audience measurement organisations
Auditel is the primary organisation in charge of television audience measurement. It was established in 1984. Auditel’s shareholders include RAI, Mediaset (the Berlusconi media corporation), and Utenti Pubblicità Associati (Association of Advertising Users – UPA), an association of companies with investments in advertisement. A small number of shares are also owned by FIEG. Auditel measures the number of televiewers and their choices through a devise (the Meter) placed on the television screen of 15,000 Italian families. It is important to note that Auditel data often provokes very harsh public debates about its reliability.
The diffusion of Italian print press is measured by the ADS, while the actual readership numbers are measured through a biannual survey conducted by Audipress, another company owned by FIEG and UPA. Finally, Audiweb detects and distributes Italian internet audience data.