Washington DC’s TV stations are now using Nielsen’s Local People Meter to measure viewership. The system is said to be much more accurate than the old system. But the LPM has measured some alarming audience declines. “Some of the steepest declines were in the early-morning period, when four local stations air competing two-hour newscasts at 5 a.m. — a time slot that reflected growing viewership prior to LPM ratings.”