Glossary of Media Terms

National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) – The major trade association of the U.S. broadcasting industry. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) – Organization for TV program directors formed in 1962. The annual NATPE conference and program exposition serves as an international showcase for the U.S. syndication industry. NATPE is based in Los Angeles.

National Audience Demographics Report (NAD) – One of the most comprehensive reports on television viewing behavior produced by Nielsen Media Research. This report, available to customers in both published and electronic editions, provides a multi-dimensional picture of the television audience. It is updated monthly. The NAD report covers broadcast network and syndicated programming. The CNAD report provides similar information for cable network television.

National Cable Television Association (NCTA) – The major trade association representing the cable television industry. Headquartered in Washington, D.C.

National Reports & Services Directory – A comprehensive listing of Nielsen Media Research’s national reports and services, along with their suggested uses and availability.

Narrowcasting – Programs oriented toward specific demographic audiences or limited interest groups, rather than to the broadest possible mass audience.

Net Reach -- see Reach

Network – A program distributor interconnected with stations or cable systems for the distribution of programming.

Network Compensation – Money received by affiliated stations from networks in exchange for airing network programs and commercials.

Network Feeds – Transmission of network programming to affiliated stations or cable systems.

Network Non-Duplication Rules - FCC rules which allow a TV broadcast station that has purchased exclusive rights to network programming within a specified area to protect its exclusivity on local cable systems. The rules allow a local TV station to demand that a local cable system's duplicate carriage of the same program from an otherwise distant broadcast station be blocked out.

NHI – Nielsen Homevideo Index (See Services, Nielsen Media Research)

Nielsen Media Research – The leading provider of television audience measurement services in the United States and Canada. It also provides competitive advertising intelligence and Internet measurement services.

Non-Response Error – The error in a sample survey resulting from the failure to obtain information from a designated respondent for any reason. To the extent that respondents and non-respondents differ, a bias is created in the survey results.

Novela – Spanish language television version of the soap opera.

NSI – Nielsen Station Index (See Services, Nielsen Media Research)

NSS – Nielsen Syndication Service (See Services, Nielsen Media Research)

NTI – Nielsen Television Index (See Services, Nielsen Media Research)