IMPROVED SYSTEM FOR COLLECTING DATA CONCERNING TRANSMITTED MATERIAL

摘要

The present invention relates to a method of collecting data concerning participant response to broadcast material which comprises a combined audience portion and data portion, each participant being located at separate remote locations and having a data collection unit with a respective unique identity and comprising a store means, a validity checking means and a manually operable device; the method comprising: (a) transmitting broadcast material to the participant locations according to a known schedule, the broadcast material comprising an audience portion and a data portion containing a validity defining portion capable of defining a valid or invalid transmission; (b) storing a data record associated with said broadcast material to the store means of a data collection unit according to a predetermined participant operation of the manually operable device in response to said audience portion of said broadcast material provided that the validity checking means confirms the validity of said data validity defining portion; and (c) cross matching said stored data records with said known schedule to ascertain a participant response to particular broadcast material.