At a meeting with Madison in Mumbai on Wednesday, the media research agency has assured that it would meet the June 30 deadline on the "commitments it has made".

The AC Nielsen-IMRB TAM data system has firmly committed to the completion of the installation of the total panel of 3,454 homes by June 30 and to the "provision of the final tested viewing data on the total panel from early July onwards". TAM has also agreed to report from 27 cities by the month-end, up from the nine cities and the 1,990 homes it is covering. Regarding software, TAM has said that "the latest version of Telescope, v.7, is currently on site" and "in test in preparation for release to our clients from the end of June." Media planners had complained that the TAMsoftware was slow as it could run only in one city. The software provided by INTAM, a joint venture between ORG-MARG and Taylor Nelson Sosres, did not have this disadvantage and could be modified for client-specific requirements.

Said Punitha Arumugan, media services director, Mumbai, Madison: "TAM's primary pressure is on the need to improve software and increase the size of the panel and the cities under coverage."

Concerned with the criticism from its clients despite having the backing of the joint industry body, TAM had called leading agencies like Chaitra Leo Burnett, Lintas and Trikaya Grey for a meeting in the last week of May. The private channels were kept abreast of the developments in a separate meeting. TAM admitted in the meeting that there was delay in implementation but said "things were being sorted out." TAM requested for time till June 30 to meet its commitments. A letter, written by Andrew Floyd, managing director, AC Nielsen media international, Asia Pacific, was also sent to theclients.

In the letter, Floyd promised that TAM would improve its software. "The new capabilities for Telescope 7 would include 32 bit Windows 95/98 compatible, multi-market capability, improved speed, 11 analysis formats, LAN performance enhancements and some additional features that include flexible day part definition, reach and frequency modules incorporating day and date and peak TVR in top programme," Floyd wrote.

Adwatch beta testing is underway and scheduled to be made available to the clients in July.

TAM has agreed to expand the AdEX services from the current monitor of six channels and eight Doordarshan regional telecasts to 44 channels from July. The service will monitor 24 hours a day over a week, providing exact timings of commercials and programmes and the facility for identification of various types of advertising.