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Nielsen Ratings System. Anyone have a box?

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mavenue

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I don't know if any of you know how the whole Nielsen Ratings System works but if you do and you're like me, it sucks. It's pretty much a system, where they give several thousand households a box that records the data of what shows they watch and how many persons are watching. Based on those results they come to a conclusion of how many persons actually watched a certain show.

I never really realized that. So I guess it doesn't really matter if I watch a show that I love, like Veronica Mars, and tell a hundred other people to watch so it wont get cancelled.
 
The box is actually one of their methods. Another is a self-report "log" they send you that's done in paper/pencil. It's like a diary of viewing habits for 1 weeks time.

I've done the written log diary thing for them, twice. I have no idea how they got ahold of me, and they don't divulge that (it's supposed to be random--but random of what?). Anyway, it's impossible to volunteer.

Because of its randomness, the inability to volunteer, and their determination to get the cross-section they desire, the results mimic the viewing habits of the general population within statistical margins of error. That's why producers and sponsors pay enormous amounts of attention to them, and why those numbers mean everything to them.
 
They also mail a representative number of paper "diaries" to households. The diaries ask more complex questions than the box can gather. I never had the box but a couple years ago I had the diary. I was an authenic Nielsen household! Yes, unfortunately, TV shows live and die by the ratings system. I agree it's not a great system but it's the only one they have. Advertisers and sponsors want to know if people are watching. If they are not, they stop advertising in the show and that is what kills the show. No money!!

New programming methods are on the way. It's called "integrated advertising". You have probably seen it in movies where they show a scene and there is a can of Coke sitting there. Coke paid BIG money to have that can sitting in that movie. TV will soon go this route. It may, at least, do away with the traditional commercials.
 
I've never had a box, but a couple of years ago, the sent me a journal to keep track of what I watched. I think I did this for about two weeks and sent it back in.
 
Orlandude said:
New programming methods are on the way. It's called "integrated advertising". You have probably seen it in movies where they show a scene and there is a can of Coke sitting there. Coke paid BIG money to have that can sitting in that movie. TV will soon go this route. It may, at least, do away with the traditional commercials.
Click to expand...

You mean, like product placement? Hasn't that been used for a while now? I'm not sure if that's the same thing. I think even if it became an industry standard, it would be difficult change TV programming based on this kind of advertising. Since most shows techincally run around 22 to 44 minutes (depending on if the show runs for a half hour or full hour with commercials), then getting rid of the commercial breaks would mess up the schedule. Networks can produce full half hour or hour long shows, but it would cost the studios more money to produce longer shows, leading to a need for more advertising, etc. It would interesting to see it happen though.
 
Interesting stuff-thanks for the info. I always wondered how the "Nielsen" ratings are determined. I wish I could be one of the selected households; seems like it would be cool to say "I'm one of the people who gave Grey's Anatomy (or another big show) the Number One spot this week in the Nielsens." Cool! :)
 
never had the box either. I got a journal that I had to fill out for three weeks I think? can't remember. I was living at home and I was still going to highschool. My mom said here....you watch tv more then me...you do this. Course this was the Canadian version of the rating thingy.
 
I've never recieved a TV Journal! I want them to pick me! Thanks for starting this because I've always wondered how this was done.
 
TiVo should leverage their customer viewing information. That would tell you exactly what you watch, if you watch the entire program, where you stop and rewind, etc. Would be much more accurate (although skewed in the direction of mor urban and tech savvy-ish peope).

Love my TiVo!
 
they also have the ability of getting information from DVR/TiVo sets to find out how many sets recorded a particular show and watched it the same night that it aired. I've had the "diary" filled out twice before. Not sure where they got my information. I've also been randomly called before to be in a test audience for 2 TV shows - neither of which made it to air as they were HORRIBLE.
 
mavenue said:
I don't know if any of you know how the whole Nielsen Ratings System works but if you do and you're like me, it sucks. It's pretty much a system, where they give several thousand households a box that records the data of what shows they watch and how many persons are watching. Based on those results they come to a conclusion of how many persons actually watched a certain show.

I never really realized that.
Click to expand...

I did. You're right, it makes little sense, and it's *certainly* not an accurate represenation. I've wanted to become a Nielsen's home, but it's apparently a very exclusive club. Anyone have info on how one becomes a member of this 'gentleman's club?
 
I did the TV Journal thing, twice. I got five bucks for each time! ^_^
 
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