After rebirth, I became a great master

Chapter 465 The Opportunity to Be a Referee
Gu Hao thought he didn't know anything, and said with a smile, "Ratings statistics can't possibly involve conducting surveys in every single household. There are hundreds of millions of families in the country!"

Zhou Haoran nodded. "I know, by sampling a small sample."

Gu Hao glanced at him in surprise and hummed in agreement. "Small sample size, covering the entire port city. The sample size is about 5000 families."

"so little?"

Zhou Haoran twitched the corners of his mouth.

The entire city of Haigang has at least 500 million households. The sample only includes 5000 households, which is only one-thousandth of the total population.

Gu Hao said, "There's no other way, the cost is too high! Our station buys Nielsen's ratings data, which is high-tech."

"how did you make it?"

Zhou Haoran was very curious.

Gu Hao gave a brief explanation.

Essentially, it involves installing a "TV box" in each sample household. This box records which channels the family watches each day, how long they watch each channel, and records the data.

Then, the TV box connects to the telephone line and transmits the data back to Nielsen via cable.

This completes the ratings statistics for a single household.

If you aggregate 5000 households, it represents the total viewership of 500 million households in the entire port city.

This "TV box" is a high-tech product with high costs. It also includes software and hardware systems, as well as data analysis models, resulting in extremely high maintenance costs.

This inevitably means that Nielsen's ratings statistics model can only be promoted in wealthy, large cities.

Zhou Haoran asked, "What about those impoverished areas?"

Gu Hao said, "Crown Platform!"

"Hmm, I heard that Crown TV has some kind of media research center."

Zhou Haoran heard about this from the French when he was at Zhongbo Software.

Gu Hao nodded and said, "Yes, it's the Media Research Center, which is the domestic ratings statistics agency. However, China is still relatively backward in this area. There is no relevant hardware or software equipment, nor high-tech 'TV boxes,' so we can only use the most traditional diary method."

Zhou Haoran asked, "What is the diary method?"

Gu Hao said, "We'll give each sample household a 'diary card' so they can write down what they watch each day. They usually need to record every 15 minutes, and each diary card can record a week's worth of viewing."

Zhou Haoran's eyes widened. "This is so outdated!"

“Yeah, it’s really outdated.” Gu Hao said dismissively. “That’s why Red Star TV wanted to set up a media research agency like this before, but many people disagreed. There’s no relevant technology in China, so if you want to do ratings research, you can only use the diary method. It’s not even that embarrassing.”

Zhou Haoran analyzed: "The advantage of the diary method is that it is low-cost."

Gu Hao shook his head. "The cost is very low, but the data error is too great. Who knows if what the viewers record every day is true? What if they just write something random to get it over with? Also, the statistics from the diary method are too slow. We often have to go door-to-door once a week to collect the diary cards, and then we still need to do a summary analysis. To know the ratings for the current episode, it will take at least two weeks!"

Zhou Haoran suddenly realized and said, "So some big cities use Nielsen's ratings statistics, which can provide ratings data every other day. Many remote and poor places can only use the diary method."

"Correct."

"This is not okay!"

"Why not?"

Gu Hao gave a half-smile.

Zhou Haoran said seriously, "Data security is national security. Nielsen is a foreign company. How can we allow foreigners to control the most accurate viewership information in our country?"

"what?"

Gu Hao looked at him in astonishment.

Because he had seen similar arguments in an internal document he had recently read! The document emphasized that in order to ensure national security, the country must have its own authoritative and advanced ratings survey agency.

It also demanded that all television stations nationwide cooperate.

The so-called cooperation is simply giving money.

These ratings agencies make money by selling data. After collecting the ratings data, they sell it to advertisers. Advertisers can then use the data analysis to create advertising campaigns.

However, the domestic market is not sufficiently developed, and advertisers do not understand these things.

Therefore, in China, television stations purchase these viewership ratings data.

Currently, many television stations in affluent areas, including Red Star TV, pay Nielsen to buy data.

That won't work anymore.

We should uniformly purchase data from state-run data research agencies.

Without customers and revenue, Nielsen won't survive for more than a few years and will have to exit the market.

Gu Hao said in a deep voice, "I estimate that the announcement will be made in the next few days. Crown TV's media center will introduce an international research company to establish a joint venture and create a domestic ratings research company affiliated with Crown TV."

Zhou Haoran smiled and said, "Market access in exchange for technology."

“Yes, it’s market for technology. Many industries do it this way, and the television industry is no exception, but…” Gu Hao became a little worried, “With the joint venture established and Crown TV backing it, it will definitely grow rapidly. I’m afraid that they will act as both referee and player, deliberately inflating Crown TV’s ratings to attract advertisers for Crown TV.”

Zhou Haoran said in a deep voice, "That's actually possible!"

Gu laughed and said, "It's a joint venture, so hopefully the foreigners can keep a close eye on things!"

"Foreigners come here to make money; for them, whoever provides the benefits is their master!"

Zhou Haoran didn't think it was a good idea at all.

"Who says it isn't?"

Gu Hao, as a professional in the television industry, was very dissatisfied with this policy, feeling that it was too biased towards Crown TV.

Zhou Haoran narrowed his eyes, "If Crown TV does this, will other local TV stations agree?"

Gu Hao said helplessly, "There's nothing we can do if they disagree. Right now, only Crown TV has a ratings survey agency in China. Shan Wendong was in a meeting just a few days ago, and he already regretted it!"

"regret?"

"Two years ago, there was a discussion within Red Star TV about whether we should set up a media research agency like Crown TV to do some ratings statistics. Later, we decided it wasn't necessary. It would be troublesome and wouldn't be able to grow much. It would be more convenient to just buy data from Nielsen. Now it seems that we really made a mistake. Otherwise, Red Star TV would be eligible to participate in the joint venture now, which would be an opportunity to be a referee in the television industry."

"If even Red Star TV doesn't have the capability to do it, then other local TV stations are even less likely to succeed."

Zhou Haoran then understood what was going on. Gu Hao said, "Yes, the government isn't intentionally trying to take sides. But the government wants to establish a joint venture for viewership ratings surveys, and only Crown TV has this business in China. So the only option is to use Crown TV's media center for the joint venture."

Zhou Haoran suddenly said, "I have a way that might ensure fairness! Or at least ensure that Red Star Observation Station won't be bullied!"

"Do you have any idea?"

Gu Hao's eyes lit up.

Zhou Haoran smiled and said, "Director Gu, our Red Star Card project was very successful!"

"Ah."

Gu Hao looked suspicious.

Zhou Haoran said, "The Red Star Card project was developed by a company called Zhongbo Software. It's a local technology company in the port, and I know several of the CEOs. To do ratings statistics, you need not only hardware and software, but also a very important project: data statistics. You need to compile a list of massive amounts of data and then perform the statistics."

"how?"

Gu Hao doesn't understand IT, nor does he understand the principles behind this.

Zhou Haoran laughed and said, "The larger the amount of data, the more complex the statistical work becomes. There are only a handful of companies in the world that can do large-scale data statistics well!"

Gu Hao shook his head. "You don't understand. The joint venture partner that Crown TV has found this time is CSM Media Research from France. That's a big company. It's the third-largest market research company in Europe!"

Zhou Haoran chuckled and said, "Director Gu, let alone third in all of Europe, even being number one in the world wouldn't be enough!"

"what are you saying?"

Gu Hao felt a little confused.

Even being number one in the world isn't enough?
Zhou Haoran said, "Nielsen is the world's number one, right? But Nielsen's data statistics model couldn't have been developed by them. It's most likely from three sources: Oracle, Cisco, or SAP. Even with Microsoft's current business scope, they might not provide this level of outsourcing services."

Gu Hao was completely dumbfounded.

"But Zhongbo Software can."

Zhou Haoran chuckled and boasted, saying things that were half true and half false.

Zhongbo Software has not yet ventured into the field of data statistics, but it's not difficult. With just a little bit of viewership data, doing some data analysis is too easy.

It's like Song Yongjun wanting to check the financial accounts of the lifestyle channel.

It's not some cosmic-level data volume.

It can be handled with a simple little program.

Like Shi Yuzhu, after graduating from university, he passed the civil service exam and worked in the provincial statistics bureau. Once, he had the opportunity to study and attended a class taught by an American professor, where he learned about American methods of conducting statistical surveys... and his eyes were opened.

That's why he's considered a talented person; after he went back, he learned about computers and developed his own data analysis software.

Once the software was developed, a miracle happened.

He completed the work of dozens of people in the statistics bureau in a year all by himself in one day, producing a detailed, rich, and complete statistical report that shocked the entire province.

Then, he lost his job.

In this era where computers are just beginning to become widespread, digital work seems like an insurmountable barrier to those who don't understand it. For those who do, it evokes a sense of superiority, like an outsider bullying a professional.

"You mean..."

Gu Hao opened his eyes wide, seemingly understanding what he meant.

Zhou Haoran said, "The purpose of the country exchanging market access for technology and establishing joint ventures is to safeguard national security and keep important data within the country. But in reality, whether it's Nielsen or CSM, they can't avoid using services from Oracle or other foreign companies. There is only one exception, and that is Zhongbo Software."

Gu Hao took a deep breath and said in surprise, "You mean you want Hongxing TV to propose that Zhongbo Software participate in the joint venture project?"

Zhou Haoran said seriously, "There are three major advantages to this. First, it is an opportunity for Hongxing TV to make contributions and safeguard national data security. Second, Zhongbo Software is a local technology company in the port city that has cooperative relationships with Hongxing TV and can represent Hongxing TV's interests in the joint venture. Third, it will enhance Hongxing TV's industry status in the domestic television industry."

"Let's go!" Gu Hao stood up without hesitation. "Let's go talk to Shan Wendong about this! You're right, this is very meaningful!"

……

It will not be easy to push for the establishment of a joint venture between Crown TV, CSM Media Research, and Zhongbo Software.

Because Zhongbo Software is a private enterprise.

Those high-ranking state-owned enterprises look up to foreign companies but look down on private companies.

Fortunately, due to cost considerations, CSM wanted Zhongbo Software to enter the market.

Now Zhou Haoran has persuaded Red Star TV.

The call was made by the Red Star TV station.

Just a little bit more.

Zhou Haoran arranged to meet with Director Dou of the Harbor Security Bureau.

This brings up an important project concerning national security.

To ensure data security, it must be "controllable".

The joint venture's shares could be 45% for Crown Entertainment, 45% for CSM Media Research, and 10% for Zhongbo Software.

In this way, the Chinese side's total shareholding will be 55%.

That way, you can firmly grasp the power of discourse.

At the same time, using domestically developed data statistical models and abandoning Oracle, a past partner of CSM, can better prevent data theft and safeguard national security.

Zhou Haoran's words carried a lot of weight with Director Dou.

He is a top expert in the computer industry.

Although he hasn't published any papers in over two months, "Good Man Zhou" has already made a name for himself in the global computer industry.

If we're talking about who in China can rival Oracle, it has to be him!
"Is Zhongbo Software the same tech company you have?"

Director Dou was very familiar with his situation.

Zhou Haoran frankly admitted, "It was indeed something I did with some classmates who graduated from Fudan University."

"Okay." Director Dou took this very seriously. "I will write a report and submit it. You're absolutely right! This concerns national data security, and we can't afford to be careless!"

(End of this chapter)