New Ratings

[tvrandywest]

[quote name=\'DrBear\' date=\'Jul 31 2003, 05:20 PM\']\"If one Nielsen family turns off its set and goes to visit it's grandmother, does that mean a million other families are turning off their sets and going to visit their grandmothers?\"[/quote]
Well now you're opening the huge can of phyla! The fact is that ratings methodology is terribly flawed, but it doesn't matter. Until some other system is developed and has the muscle to usurp Nielson's stranglehold of the past half century, these are the numbers the ad agencies will buy from. They are the only numbers used in all the \"reach\", \"frequency\" and \"CPM\" (cost per thousand) formulas and fancy math that translate down to the money the shows can generate.

The all-time BEST comment on ratings was expressed back in the Mike Douglas syndie era:

\"It's like trying to navigate New Hampshire with a map of Vermont. But it's the only map you have, so you use it\"!

I heard (tell me if I'm wrong) that Pyramid does well in some markets (better than other shows that were formerly in that slot...Feud I heard is also the same way.

Doesn't matter; see above.

Weakest Link positively kicked ass in Detroit. It didn't matter. The shows are too expensive to produce for just Detroit or for other shows' successful markets.


Randy
tvrandywest.com

[TonicBH]

Isn't Hollywood Squares on 3-year-contract periods?

If that is the case, it's the next season that we should be worrying for H2.

[PeterMarshallFan]

[quote name=\'GS Warehouse\' date=\'Jul 31 2003, 05:01 PM\']

relatiodocudateralities

dateucompetitiondocugameumentaries

Trashgarbagejunkandotherwisefiltywasteofairtime.

Maybe WoF should consider bringing back the Megaword.  Or how about a revival of Wordplay?  [ducks] [/quote]
 Take my word for it, more people would say \"oh my word!\" and turn it off then those who'd watch it.

[Gromit]

[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' date=\'Jul 31 2003, 10:25 AM\'] Read 'em and weep. Wanna guess which are gone after this season (if not sooner)?
 [/quote]
 The thing that gets me about the whole renewal system is that if they cancel some of these, then the replacements are going to do no better, perhaps even worse. They are far too impatient in the tv biz.

I think they'd do far better by only cancelling the worst of the worst rating wise, and leaving the rest to see if they'll develop a market. (I'm not just talking game shows here, but all regular shows). I guarantee that some of the shows that were cancelled in their first year or after one year would have become hits had they let them find their audience.

Not to mention the sheer quantity of ideas and talent they burn through.

[GS Warehouse]

[quote name=\'PeterMarshallFan\' date=\'Jul 31 2003, 08:48 PM\'] Take my word for it, more people would say "oh my word!" and turn it off then those who'd watch it. [/quote]
 Another sign that society is going down the tubes:
12+ letter words: Where's the remote?
5-letter words: It's a hit.
4-letter words: BIG HIT!

[ChrisLambert!]

[quote name=\'GS Warehouse\' date=\'Jul 31 2003, 09:19 PM\'] [quote name=\'PeterMarshallFan\' date=\'Jul 31 2003, 08:48 PM\']
4-letter words: BIG HIT! [/quote]
 Well.... wait --  \"Cram\" with Icey! Cool!

-Chri

[Brandon Brooks]

[quote name=\'TonicBH\' date=\'Jul 31 2003, 08:39 PM\'] Isn't Hollywood Squares on 3-year-contract periods? [/quote]
 No.  The contract they have expires next year.

Where did you hear that from?

Brandon Brooks

[Robert Hutchinson]

Advertisers are also willing to look at the ratings for certain demographic groups--not that that's going to do game shows much good, skewing as most of them do towards audiences of women and older persons.

[Starkman]

Another good sign for Feud and pyramid, not sure bout next season's lineup but this past year it was the anchor of the after school late afternoon lineup for Ch. 9 double running through 3-5 which i consider a good slot for the genre, the 2nd run of feud went head on with Millionaire, and pyramid is heavily advertised in NY...as I said, if you gotta do well in one market it better be ny

[Brandon Brooks]

[quote name=\'Starkman\' date=\'Aug 1 2003, 05:33 AM\'] Another good sign for Feud and pyramid, not sure bout next season's lineup but this past year it was the anchor of the after school late afternoon lineup for Ch. 9 double running through 3-5 which i consider a good slot for the genre, the 2nd run of feud went head on with Millionaire, and pyramid is heavily advertised in NY...as I said, if you gotta do well in one market it better be ny [/quote]
 How are those \"good signs?\"  Both shows are guaranteed next year, so it doesn't really matter now... but ratings for both shows are not stellar.  And how exactly do you know that WWTBAM didn't trounce Feud?

Brandon Brooks

[Ian Wallis]

The fact is that ratings methodology is terribly flawed, but it doesn't matter.

-----


Years ago the \"Nielsen Families\" numbered 1200.  I remember hearing they were going to increase it to 1700.

Does anybody know the correct number they use now?  Has it increased?

[calliaume]

Here in Chicago, Feud, two Pyramids, and Weakest Link run in a 7-9 p.m. block on Channel 26, WCIU.  It's great that they run in prime time -- but they run on what's likely the weakest of the Chicago over-the-air stations (it's an independent UHF).  But would running from 3-5 p.m. on, say, the local Fox station (which is also UHF) really be any better?

We should actually give WCIU a hand for their game show schedule -- they did run Feud, To Tell the Truth, and Card Sharks as a prime-time block in 2001, and did a lot of print ads for them as well.  At least someone there apparently appreciates the genre.

[uncamark]

Well actually, I would expect Blind Date to be back for another season, due to the exposure TNN gives it.  The rest under it, most certainly not (Well... I would think Elimidate might have a fighting chance, Street Smarts too, though the ratings are simply too low to justify continuing it). 

\"ElimiDate\" is the only one of this year's bunch of returning game/relationship shows that is *up* in households from the previous season.  That and the fact that it kiils in the key demos is why it'll be back next year, along with most of the other relationship shows (in Chicago, \"ElimiDate\" double pumps on WCIU at 9 p.m. after their prime time game show block).

\"Change of Heart,\" \"Shipmates\" and \"TWL\" are history (and \"Change\" host Lynn Koplitz grabbed a gig hosting \"Shop & Style,\" NBC and ShopNBC's experiment in bringing back home shopping to higher-profile broadcast television that begins a four-week test run Monday on NBC O&Os in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and San Francisco/San Jose).

But the relationship shows are like sports talk and \"young talk\" radio stations (\"young talk\" stations are generally on FM, use slogans like \"Talk That Rocks!\" and run Howard Stern)--their total household ratings are somewhat poor, but they get great 18-to-34 male demos, so they stick around.

[tvrandywest]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Aug 1 2003, 08:34 AM\'] Years ago the "Nielsen Families" numbered 1200.  I remember hearing they were going to increase it to 1700. Does anybody know the correct number they use now?  Has it increased? [/quote]
 Nielsen says:

Nationally, there are 5,000 television households in which electronic meters (called People Meters) are attached to every TV set, VCR, cable converter box, satellite dish or other video equipment in the home. The meters continually record all set tuning. In addition we ask each member of the household to let us know when they are watching by pressing a pre-assigned button on the People Meter which is also present. By matching this button activity to the demographic information (age/gender) we collect at the time the meters are installed, we can match the set tuning – what is being watched – with who is watching. All these data are transmitted to Nielsen Media Research’s computers where they are processed and released to our customers each day.

In addition to this national service, we have a slightly different metering system in 55 local markets. In each of those markets Nielsen Media Research gathers just the set-tuning information each day from more than 20,000 additional homes. We than process the data and release what we call \"household ratings\" daily. In this case we can report what channel or program is being watched, but we don’t have the \"who\" part of the picture. To gather that local demographic information, we periodically (at least 4 times per year) ask another group of people to participate in our diary surveys. For these estimates, we contact approximately 1 million homes each year and ask them to keep track of television viewing for one week, recording their TV viewing activity in a diary. This is done for all 210 television markets in the United States in November, February, May and July and is generally referred to as the \"sweeps\".

 
Randy
tvrandywest.com

[TheInquisitiveOne]

Here in Chicago, Feud, two Pyramids, and Weakest Link run in a 7-9 p.m. block on Channel 26, WCIU. It's great that they run in prime time -- but they run on what's likely the weakest of the Chicago over-the-air stations (it's an independent UHF).

Add on the fact that these shows are most likely to be pre-empted by Chicago sports coverage at times. I don't have numbers, but these pre-emptions can hurt these shows in our market.

But would running from 3-5 p.m. on, say, the local Fox station (which is also UHF) really be any better?

I'd say run it from 2-4 P.M. What is in that 2-hour block are throwaways. I mean, who still enjoys reruns of Cops and a talk show starring a sleazeball who may soon be one of our senators (I shudder at the thought)? By doing this, we Chicago area viewers do not have to worry about pre-emptions. Plus, they will serve as great lead-ins for reruns of King of the Hill and The Simpsons, two shows that I will easily mark out for.

We should actually give WCIU a hand for their game show schedule -- they did run Feud, To Tell the Truth, and Card Sharks as a prime-time block in 2001, and did a lot of print ads for them as well. At least someone there apparently appreciates the genre.

WCIU should be lauded for their efforts. I realy appreciate their giving us a window of fresh air from crappy sitcoms, dreary dramas, and disgusting \"reality\" television. However, I would like to know which magazines you got for those print ads. I read the TV Guides and did not get squat about WCIU's lineup. Which is a shame, really.

The Inquisitive One