science

Numeris

Numeris is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Numeris rather than just read about it. In short: Numeris (formerly the Bureau of Broadcast Measurement, or BBM Canada) is a Canadian audience measurement organization. Established on May 11, 1944 as a division of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, Numeris is the sole provider of viewership numbers for television and radio broadcasters in Canada.

Key takeaways

Numeris belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Numeris to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Numeris from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Numeris (formerly the Bureau of Broadcast Measurement, or BBM Canada) is a Canadian audience measurement organization. Established on May 11, 1944 as a division of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, Numeris is the sole provider of viewership numbers for television and radio broadcasters in Canada.

History Numeris was founded by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters on May 11, 1944 as the Bureau of Broadcast Measurement. In 1964, it became the first ratings service in the world to introduce computerized sample selection. In 2004, the organization began a joint venture with Nielsen Media Research to adopt its Portable People Meter system for television audience measurement. The organization officially shortened its name to BBM Canada in 2001; despite this, many outlets still referred to the organization under its previous name. In late December 2011, BBM sued Canadian technology company Research in Motion for trademark infringement, as it uses the "BBM" acronym to refer to its BlackBerry Messenger service. The organization alleged that it had received phone calls from users who believed that they were affiliated with RIM. RIM objected to the lawsuit, arguing that both companies were in unrelated industries. The suit was dismissed in 2012 by Canadian federal courts as being without merit. BBM Canada ultimately chose to adopt a different name. On June 19, 2014, BBM Canada re-branded as Numeris, unveiling a new logo designed by the agency Cundari, along with a new slogan, "Audiences Count". The company felt that the BBM name, especially given the continued use of its full name by media outlets, evoked visions of "surveys and bureaucracy" that were inconsistent with its modern operation. On August 28, 2022, Numeris ceased publication of TV Topline Reports.

Radio In radio, Numeris is the main provider of ratings services. The company has traditionally used a diary-based system for tracking radio audience habits and this system is still used in most markets. In Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary ratings are now measured using the Portable People Meter (PPM) technology.

Television In television, Numeris is partnered with the American company Nielsen in a joint venture which measures the Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal Anglo and Montreal Franco markets, the Ontario region and national ratings figures via Portable People Meters.

See also List of most watched television broadcasts in Canada List of most-watched television broadcasts

References

External links Official website

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Numeris

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Numeris claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Numeris before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Numeris ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Numeris

In research: Numeris appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Numeris in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Numeris is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1944 establishments in Canada, Audience measurement, Market research companies of Canada, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Numeris outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Numeris in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Numeris means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Numeris out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Numeris in simple terms?

Why does Numeris matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Numeris?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Numeris.