What is Digg?149 Comments
- ThinkBox, on 02/15/2008, -1/+132Ratings depend on if you are a Nielsen home or not. So, if you have a box, or fill out journals telling the company what you are watching - that is what ratings are based on. This is the most trusted source, the company has been around since the 1950s doing this stuff. That is why I could care less about downloading TV shows, I have no effect whatsoever on the shows ratings
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nielsen_Ratings - Icupnimpn2, on 02/15/2008, -4/+50Absolutely true. Tuning your tv to a certian channel should not affect a show's ratings at all. Neilsen calls up random households and asks if they'd like to participate. I've been chosen twice at two different addresses. All Neilsen knows is what my wife and I chose to write down in their paper diary.
This is just a theory of mine, but Nielsen's seem biased against the younger, tech-savvy generation. Why? Well, I think Nielsen only calls land-lines. Many of us only have cell-phones. So I wouldn't be surprised if our demographic is underrepresented. - LisiBee, on 02/15/2008, -1/+43What ThinkBox said is absolutely right; unless you are a Nielsen family, it makes absolutely no difference whether you watch live or you Tivo the show. You only get the warm fuzzy feeling of knowing that you enjoyed it when it first ran on TV. ;) Now, one thing you can do is to email the network to let them know you watched (audsvcs@CBS.com). It doesn't get counted in the Nielsen ratings, but the network places a lot of weight on fan correspondence. CBS also takes a look at people watching online through their website, although again that doesn't get factored into the Nielsens. However, CBS themselves admitted that when the made they decision to cancel, they didn't take into account the millions of people who were watching through their Innertube viewing platform.
Sorry, didn't mean to get long-winded on you. ;) - lilricky, on 02/15/2008, -2/+34uh, hate to tell you this, but Neilsen has been using data collected from cable boxes for at least the past 5 years. They still contact certain households based on race, wealth, etc, but the majority of their data comes from Brighthouse, Time Warner, and Comcast. I work for Comcast's national tech center, we get paid by Neilsen for the data. Don't believe me? Check out your contract, it states(at least Comcast's does) that Comcast can share your viewing habits to third-person companies, betcha next time you'll read that thing before you sign it ;)
- manicallday, on 02/15/2008, -5/+24This is just ***** stupid. If t.v. executives can't make money off of this show, then there's no hope. Here's an idea. Make it a strickly an online show. No airspace just the web. Advertisers would love it, because they can accurately track how many people are watching at a given time and the DVR problem is taken care of because advertisements can still be viewed outside the viewing box. Further, it's prime time 24 hours. In addition, it would show that the network is looking towards the future and is willing to take risk, which would score well with the market. ***** it's available online now anyway. Just take it off the air.
Now put this in motion and then light up a cigar. - kjd84, on 02/15/2008, -0/+17It sux when 7.1million people is viewed as a failure that is a hell of a lot of people!
- coheedcollapse, on 02/15/2008, -1/+14Nielsen is such a crappy system. You're only going to get a certain type of people to submit to random journal entries or boxes monitoring whatever they watch. Unfortunately, that group of people completely control what stays on television. I wish there were a better way.
- doti, on 02/15/2008, -1/+14Uh, it's on CBS. maybe that's the problem, everyone thinks it's on Fox.
- kreatre2007, on 02/15/2008, -1/+12If it gets cancelled again, it's because of the lousy backwards telexecs. They're the ones who don't understand the new ways that we watch TV shows. I love Jericho but, I can't go back to the 1970s and sit in front of the TV every week just to catch the latest episode. There's iTunes and the CBS website. Those options allow the viewers to watch the show when we choose. If CBS doesn't understand that the technology has changed, then they might as well cancel everything. CBS only put Jericho back on to shut us up. Since they put it back on at 9pm, it's clear that they're not truly committed to the show's success.
- oOLiquidNightOo, on 02/15/2008, -7/+18Two things you don't seem to grasp:
1. The Nielsen Rating System
2. The english language (IF english is not your primary language, I apologize). - vernacularninja, on 02/15/2008, -4/+14It's beyond sad how many great shows network TV just botches. Let's just hope the other major networks don't follow in the footsteps of Fox.
- arrrrgh, on 02/15/2008, -0/+10Nielsen can track total DVR viewers as well - your box communicates info back to the cable companies, who charge a fee to Nielsen (at least, this is what a friend of mine who works for Nielsen claims). As long as something you've DVR'd is watched w/in 48 hours of its recording, it's counted towards Nielsen's totals...
- sgxyay, on 02/15/2008, -0/+10Not everybody is as geeky as the digg audience and watches TV on their computers. The audience is not big enough to support a big show like that.
- inactive, on 02/15/2008, -0/+9More Peanuts ?
- MidwestDrummer, on 02/15/2008, -2/+11S2E04 will win against anything the night it airs. Just wait and see. the first 3 episodes being leaked to the torrent sites had a huge impact. Remember the article that was on the front page about 50% of torrent downloads being TV shows? Just wait for E04, you'll see.
- moskaudancer, on 02/15/2008, -0/+9You're right, but I think he may have been referring to the "Fox Phenomenon", in which they cancel a perfectly good show soon after it gets actual fans. Futurama is probably the best-known example.
- 4ZERO1, on 02/15/2008, -0/+9Hey asswipes put it back at 8PM, and you will have more viewers. You think after all those peanuts we dont want to watch it?
- DarkDx, on 02/15/2008, -1/+9" CBS themselves admitted that when the made they decision to cancel, they didn't take into account the millions of people who were watching through their Innertube viewing platform."
That's like apple saying "we will no longer selling the iphone because we don't take into account the online sales."
***** CBS - employeeno5, on 02/15/2008, -9/+17I'm a sucker for all things post-apocalyptic. I don't think I'm alone. I've watched all manner of terrible films, even though I knew they would be terrible, because I just can't help but be fascinated by such scenarios even when terribly executed.
So, I sat down and watched the whole first season of Jericho while recovering from a brief illness. I was in allot pain and just needed a simple distraction. Jericho fit the bill.
You know what I learned? Jericho was canceled its first season because it was a crappy show. The only thing that kept me going along was the underlying politics and occasional revelations about the conspiracy.
All the stuff you hear about character development is *****. Other than the interesting concept and conspiracy intrigue, it was the most banal, predictable, and substantialness soap opera I've watched in years.
The acting was garbage, the writing was worse.
The fact that this second season intends to focus on politics and the such rather than so-called character development should be highlight and a boon to the series not what will cause it's second downfall. The entire first season I was just waiting for this kind of change in the show's focus.
I'm all for rich character development and personal viewpoint on a global event, but it was just so terribly, terribly done. I've seen more subtle and believable acting and writing on "Days of our Lives". - pkonink, on 02/15/2008, -0/+7I wouldn't worry about being under-represented in Nielsen ratings. They are horribly inaccurate and have always been so. This is an open secret in the TV industry, but one which nobody has tried to change because there is a multi-billion dollar (advertising) industry centered around these ratings. So, essentially, everyone does business by the ratings even though they know they aren't actually true.
- CrimsonBlur, on 02/15/2008, -0/+7Good! I always thought it was like the parent said, but if you're correct, that actually makes me really happy. I have absolutely no problem with Comcast selling my data, it means each of us can actually affect what shows stay on the air (or don't). I suppose this significantly alters my perception of TV ratings now...
I'm still a bit suspicious with the numbers they pull though for some shows, but I guess the viewing habits of people living in Seattle can be significantly different from the rest of the nation. :( - kashem, on 02/15/2008, -0/+7People still watch TV on TV?
- AMSRay, on 02/15/2008, -0/+6Actually, they do gather audience ratings for web viewing. http://www.nielsen-netratings.com So don't feel guilty for watching it on-line. Or better yet, if you are a true fan watch it on-line and buy the DVD set from season 1. Also, I believe that Tivo has begun reporting when people watch TV shows that were recorded earlier, they make money off the information.
- tke100, on 02/15/2008, -0/+6this sucks, I really like this show! Shows promise!!!
- h0ser, on 02/15/2008, -4/+9They did grasp the Nielson ratings, the first couple posts were all about it.
The problem is that there was no other means of distributing the televisio shows when the nielson program came out. The problem is that the companies havn't adapted to the ways of the future. I don't even have cable, it's a waste of money in my opinion. - loveandrockets, on 02/15/2008, -2/+7Most of the women didn't seem to know the regular world ended with the nuclear bombs. They were still: "Ohhh, Jimmy doesn't love me anymore...He's spending all his time with his friends!"
He's patrolling the roads for brain-eating nuclear mesomorphs you dizzy bitch! - earlycj5, on 02/15/2008, -1/+6I was thinking of Arrested Development myself.
- Rickler, on 02/15/2008, -0/+5This rating stuff makes no sense to me. I watch the show over ATSC in hidef 1080 glory. There is no way they know I'm watching the show. It's a receiving VHF/UVF antenna only.
- Kerrigore, on 02/15/2008, -0/+4Some of the others are just as bad. ABC, for example, might as well change its name to "Already Been Cancelled"
- newdigger, on 02/15/2008, -0/+4oOLiquidNightOo's comment was directed to the author of the article buddy.
- mywhitenoise, on 02/15/2008, -0/+4"I know fans might have downloaded the 1st three episodes for the interwebs"
How annoying. - derekbender, on 02/15/2008, -0/+4To bad. It was a great show. I never watched it on TV but I watched all of Season 1 on the CBS website. To bad Neilsen doesn't do a good job when it comes to keeping track of actual ratings. They more or less guess after a couple surveys. A sorely outdated system.
- anchora, on 02/15/2008, -0/+4A couple weeks ago I received and filled out a nielsen journal.. Wish they would have gave me one for this week. :(
- Enlightenment, on 02/15/2008, -0/+4My guess is that CBS does count people watching it from their web site, so if you downloaded it, or missed it, then make sure you find the time to watch the episodes at www.cbs.com/primetime/jericho and even if it means that you watch it in the background, just do it.
- tafty86, on 02/15/2008, -0/+4Just download it on iTunes, its free and I know they will take a good look at how many people get there too.
- orlandogeek, on 02/15/2008, -0/+4Actually it's either. Using the Z is the Americanized way of spelling it while using the S is the original English. The same goes for realise, colour, etc.
- inactive, on 02/15/2008, -1/+5Killing off the best character cant have helped matters. I still enjoy the show, but it might be hard to keep things good with where they are heading.
- kreatre2007, on 02/15/2008, -1/+5Dugg you down for not getting it.
- candafilm, on 02/15/2008, -1/+5You'd think since everything on TV will have to be digital by next year, they could track what the box (satellite or cable) is tuned in on. It could be anonymous so there's no actual recording of what a certain customer is actually watching, just general numbers for each show.
- Darkneuros, on 02/15/2008, -0/+4Even after learning I could have Downloaded the first few ep's of S2, I didn't, hoping that watching the show would boost the ratings, but apparently as stated in some of the previous posts, I too didn't understand the Nielsen rating system. And to take it a step further, I live in Canada. Do Canadian viewers matter to Nielsen as we ARE watching commercials and being influenced by marketing? Anyway, my thoughts on the whole thing is this, is there anything to compete with all the reality drivel being show on the networks? I don't mind American / Canadian idol, American Gladiators and so on, but come on, how much replay can you really get out of it. I re watch old sci fi many times and never get bored of it. Idol I watch once, then it's done. To me shows like Jericho are a better investment, as you can sell them to a network that does reruns. Anyone for Idol reruns...
- Kevin108, on 02/15/2008, -1/+4I think the fact of the matter is that the people who love Jericho also love time shifting and have enabled their homes accordingly. CBS should find a way to cater to this new breed of viewer.
- Veretax, on 02/15/2008, -0/+3I didn't watch Jehrico the first time around, because it was up against a show I watched more often on tuesdays. That show is now gone, the 10pm or 8PM slot on tuesdays would be fine for me. And I loved this first episode. I still need to catch up on the two eps I missed though
- RobotBuddha, on 02/15/2008, -0/+3What's amazing is even the people generating the reports will admit that they're behind the times.
- dmann, on 02/15/2008, -1/+4yeah... it doesnt really matter if you TiVo it, unless youre a neilsen family.
- Velirno, on 02/15/2008, -0/+3Family Guy, Firefly, Dark Angel...actually someone just quote that Family Guy episode.
- RobotBuddha, on 02/15/2008, -1/+4As far as I know, while they do sometimes use that information internally, they never actually use direct cable box data as part of their ratings. Instead it's just another one of the comparison points they place the diary and set/people meter data against to measure accuracy while they're in their eternal methodological restructuring. Same thing goes for tivo use.
- CoolJammer00, on 02/15/2008, -0/+3i'm gonna bury, cause this is the farthest thing from the truth.
don't live in Minnesota with a Nielsen box? You don't matter. - Mothrog, on 02/15/2008, -0/+3Putting a show on at 10 pm and expecting stellar ratings isn't trying. It's setting the show up for failure, just like they did when they tried to run it against American Idol.
- groberts1980, on 02/15/2008, -0/+3Email sent. Everybody needs to email CBS and tell them we want Jericho!
- Mothrog, on 02/15/2008, -0/+3Particularly at 10 pm. Without bittorrent, I wouldn't have seen it.
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