System and method for monitoring broadcast transmissions of commercials

A system for determining whether a program transmitted in a programming signal by a signal source was perceived by audience members within a specified time period, comprising:

• means for combining the programming signal with a code signal to form a broadcast signal, wherein occurrence of the code signal corresponds to an occurrence of the program, and wherein the code signal identifies the program;
• means for monitoring the broadcast signal at a central processing facility and storing each occurrence of the received code with an adjacent segment of the programming signal to create a master data base;
• means for monitoring, with a device in the vicinity of an audience member, the code signal corresponding to the program as it is being performed by program reproduction equipment and perceived by the audience member, and storing each occurrence of the code signal with its said adjacent segment of the programming signal to create audience monitoring data;
• means for determining from the master data base and the audience monitoring data whether the audience member perceived the program within a specified time period;
• and
• means for storing timestamps in the master data base and the audience monitoring data corresponding to respective occurrences of the code signal stored therein,
• wherein said means for determining comprises means for finding a match in the master data base and the audience monitoring data for a combination of the code signal and the adjacent segment.