Comments on: Stations Call March Sweeps 'Useless'

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 15:58:21 +0000

Eddie, the point of the folks in the article was because of the environmental differences that March and Feb sweeps were not comparable. Viewing is higher in Feb because of environmental factors.

By: clutz

clutz — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 15:40:35 +0000

I’d say March sweeps are a bit more *useless* now that broadcast stations may-or-may-not have converted to digital, and people may-or-may-not have converters, yadda yadda yadda…

At least when Nielsen planned March sweeps, it was assumed that all broadcast stations would have completed their digital transitions, and viewers would have had two weeks to adapt to the change. Now, they have to deal with confusion, particularly in the small markets, because digital transition has been scattered. Plus, converter boxes were not available as promised for a couple million people. Now Nielsen has to figure out what’s going on in every market, on every network.

By: Eddie

Eddie — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 15:25:25 +0000

I don’t understand the logic that because February is a “darker, colder month” that less people watch TV. That makes no sense to me. It is also contradictory to the latter statement that because Daylight Savings is in March then even less people TV (presumably because it lighter and warmer out).

By: Sold Out Activist

Sold Out Activist — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 08:37:24 +0000

The answer to your question is simple: We are dealing with the government. They rarely do anything that would be in the best interest of the parties involved.

In this case, if they were to listen to the networks, we’d all but never have a transition to digital.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 03:43:23 +0000

Ben, the delay wasn’t actually signed into law until Feb 11. And even if it had been done a month prior to that, logistically, it would not have been possible for Nielsen to pull it off with such short notice.

By: Ben

Ben — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 03:27:50 +0000

How difficult would it have been when the gov’t announced the delay of the transition – which was well before February, to reinstate the February sweeps?

By: Dan

Dan — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:45:46 +0000

Actually since February is a colder month, people tend to watch more TV. Unless they’d rather go out and freeze. But that still isn’t a big excuse. I agree that the switch should have been made in June, after the season was over, or atleast in March, but of course they picked February, the worst month to do it in.

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:38:11 +0000

Ben, of course doing it in the summer in the first place would have made sense. I think that answers the question about why the government scheduled it in the middle of the season

By: Ben

Ben — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:02:46 +0000

I don’t know why the US Gov’t didn’t in the first place announce the digital transition in the summer months to start with.