Uncle Cecil Explains the Nielsens

POSTED BY: Radegund
UPDATED: Friday, February 21, 2003 19:21
VIEWED: 1501
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RADEGUND

Friday, February 21, 2003 4:42 PM

Today's "Straight Dope" entry explains Nielsen ratings:

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/030221.html

Radegund

LOSTANGEL

Friday, February 21, 2003 4:54 PM

Quote:
The sample size isn't a few hundred thousand people, though--for daily ratings, called "overnights," it's just 25,000 homes (5,000 for national programming, 20,000 for local stations), which collectively are supposed to reflect the viewing habits of 106 million U.S. households in 210 markets. That leaves a pretty wide margin for error, you might think, and you wouldn't be the only one.

Ack! To me this is not logical. That sample size is not nearly enough to project the viewing habits of the entire US.

Also, the part of the TV execs not signing up for the improved rating system because it told them what they didn't want to hear is PROOF that these people are ostrichs and short-sighted insecure people that don't have the courage or the desire to say,"Well, we're not as popular as we thought we were, how do we change it?"

TV executive

______________________
Lost Angel

WASH: Psychic, though? That sounds like something out of science fiction.
ZOE: We live in a space ship, dear.
WASH: So?

BRTICK

Friday, February 21, 2003 4:57 PM

Quote:
Nielsen Media Research, an offspring of the firm founded in 1923 by market research pioneer Arthur Nielsen, recently began introducing new sampling technology that it hopes will depict local TV viewership with much greater accuracy. Early results have been controversial, mainly because, in highly simplified terms, they consist of the following:

Q: Do people actually watch all this crap?

A: No."

glad I'm not the only one that thought that.

Keep Flying!

BROWNCOAT1

Friday, February 21, 2003 7:21 PM

I have always had trouble believing the Nielsen rating system could accurately depict the viewing habits of so many households w/ such a small sampling. A couple of people at the official board swear that the Nielsen system is sound and more accurate than any method. Personally, I think that is wishful thinking.

If this article is to be believed, it is a half hearted effort at getting a sampling of what people are watching. Personally it would be easier to contact cable providers and devise a system that would allow mass monitoring of what is being watched by viewers so they can get something a lot more accurate than Nielsen can provide.

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."