Nielsen finds ratings software glitch

NEW YORK » The Nielsen company on Friday admitted to errors dating back to March in its measurement of television viewing, statistics that serve as the foundation for billions of dollars in advertising spending for the entire broadcast industry.

The firm blamed a software glitch for errors that, industry officials said, mistakenly credited ABC for viewing that was in reality spread across all of the broadcast networks. Nielsen described the errors as minuscule, but the extent will become better known this week when the company issues corrected ratings for the first week of the television season.

Nielsen executives said the errors became apparent only in the past few weeks, when the beginning of a new television season meant more people were tuning in.

"The differences are small enough that those of us who look at these numbers every day and live by them didn’t notice a difference," said Patricia McDonough, Nielsen senior vice president for planning policy and analysis.

The mistakes came up in adjustments Nielsen makes to its ratings each day between an early morning estimate of viewers and a more complete accounting that is released late in the afternoon.

Data theft affects Kmart customers

NEW YORK » Sears Holdings Corp. announced late Friday that it detected a data breach at its Kmart stores that started last month and that certain customers’ credit and debit card accounts may have been hacked.

The data theft at Kmart is the latest in a string of incidents that have hit several big retailers, including Target, Supervalu and Home Depot. For the Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based parent company, however, the breach comes at a time when it’s struggling with losses and sales declines as it fights to stay relevant with shoppers.

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