Answers to common questions about Star Media's audience measurement data processing, research software, estimating, post-buy reporting, integrations, and custom solutions.
What does Star Media Enterprises do?
Star Media Enterprises provides audience measurement data processing, research software, estimating, post-buy reporting, automated data exports, integrations, and custom reporting and development solutions for national television networks and media organizations.
Star Media supports research, sales, stewardship, planning, post-buy, and operational workflows that depend on accurate and timely audience measurement data.
Which audience measurement providers and currencies does Star Media support?
Star Media processes and supports audience measurement data from Nielsen, Comscore, VideoAmp, and iSpot across multiple industry currencies and reporting environments.
Support can include data processing, reporting, estimating, posting, exports, and other workflows depending on the data and services a client uses.
Can Star Media help networks adapt as audience measurement currencies change?
Yes. Star Media supports multiple audience measurement currencies across applicable reporting, estimating, posting, and data workflows.
As advertisers, agencies, and brands adopt different currencies or methodologies, Star Media gives networks the flexibility to support changing requirements without rebuilding their broader research and operational workflows. Star Media continues to expand its supported data sources and capabilities as the television measurement marketplace evolves.
What is MultiTrak TNG?
MultiTrak TNG is Star Media's flagship audience reporting platform for national television research.
It provides fast, flexible ratings analysis with highly customizable selections, report structures, measurement periods, demographics, programs, filters, and output formats. MultiTrak TNG supports multiple measurement currencies within their respective reporting environments and is designed for both recurring and complex research needs.
What is StarEstimator used for?
StarEstimator is a comprehensive audience estimating platform for programming research, ad sales, and planning.
It uses historical ratings performance to help develop audience estimates while giving users the flexibility to adjust projections, schedules, performance profiles, factor sets, and other assumptions based on current expectations and business needs.
Historical profiles and schedules can also be imported from existing Star Media data and other supported sources to make the estimating process more efficient.
What is the StarPost System?
StarPost is an industry-accepted post-buy reporting solution used by broadcasters and media organizations, including some of the largest television networks in the industry, and has supported post-buy workflows for nearly 20 years.
StarPost combines audience ratings, commercial occurrence, and contract information to measure campaign delivery. It supports multiple measurement currencies, industry-standard and custom posting methodologies, and custom post-buy reports designed around specific network, advertiser, agency, or client requirements.
What is StarTrak Web, and how is it different from MultiTrak TNG?
StarTrak Web is Star Media's browser-based reporting platform designed for quick insights and easy access to ratings and programming information from desktop, tablet, or mobile devices.
It is designed to be intuitive for users across different roles and skill levels. MultiTrak TNG is better suited for deeper, highly customized audience analysis, while StarTrak Web is designed for fast, accessible reporting and everyday research questions.
How does Star Media ensure ratings data is accurate and up to date?
Star Media processes hundreds of audience measurement files each week from leading industry providers, along with custom data files designed around specific client needs.
Every file is run through Star Media's internal QA and validation processes before being loaded into its databases. These controls are critical because reporting, estimating, posting, exports, and other downstream systems depend on the accuracy and completeness of the underlying data.
When potential issues are identified in provider data, Star Media works directly with the provider to investigate and correct them. Star Media's rigorous QA process often identifies discrepancies that might otherwise go unnoticed before the data reaches downstream systems.
Star Media also captures provider reissues and reprocessed data as they are released and updates applicable databases and downstream files to keep client systems accurate and current.
Can Star Media integrate ratings data with sales and other business systems?
Yes. Star Media creates automated data exports for sales, stewardship, reporting, and other internal systems.
Star Media supports integrations and file formats for major media sales and business platforms, including WideOrbit, Operative, Grip it!, and Broadway, as well as other client-specific systems and workflows. This allows clients to seamlessly move ratings data into the systems they rely on without additional reformatting or manual processing.
When source data is reissued or reprocessed, updated export files are generated immediately to ensure connected systems remain accurate and up to date.
Can Star Media build custom reports, applications, or tracking systems?
Yes. Star Media has long specialized in custom reporting and development.
Star Media builds automated reports, custom databases, applications, and tracking systems around each client's specific workflows and business requirements. Solutions can include specialized calculations, formatting, graphics, programming and sports tracking, audience analysis, automation, and other client-specific functionality.
If a client can envision a reporting or workflow solution, Star Media can work with them to build it.
What makes Star Media different from other television ratings and media research providers?
Star Media combines audience measurement data processing, research software, estimating, post-buy reporting, automated exports, integrations, and custom development within a single environment.
This allows clients to consolidate multiple research and data workflows with one experienced partner rather than relying on separate vendors for processing, reporting, exporting, estimating, and posting. Consolidating these services can reduce system handoffs, simplify support and administration, improve operational efficiency, and provide meaningful cost savings.
Clients also benefit from decades of national television experience, rigorous QA and validation, support for multiple measurement currencies, integrations with major media sales systems, and the flexibility to develop custom solutions around specific business requirements.
How does Star Media support its clients?
Star Media is a U.S.-based company with an experienced team that works directly with clients across research, data processing, reporting, estimating, posting, and custom development.
Clients can reach the Star Media team directly for questions, support, or new requests, and Star Media places a strong emphasis on timely, responsive service. Star Media's goal is to provide clients with knowledgeable support from people who understand both their systems and the television research business.
How can my organization get started with Star Media?
Organizations interested in Star Media's software, data processing, post-buy reporting, estimating, exports, integrations, or custom solutions can contact Star Media to discuss their specific requirements.
The Star Media team can review existing workflows, measurement providers, reporting needs, and system integrations to determine which products and services are the best fit.