Comments on: Fox Sweeps Age Demos For 2008-9 Season, CBS Wins Average Viewership http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2009/05/27/fox-sweeps-age-demos-for-2008-9-season-cbs-wins-average-viewership/19457/ Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:20:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Robert Seidman http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2009/05/27/fox-sweeps-age-demos-for-2008-9-season-cbs-wins-average-viewership/19457/comment-page-1/#comment-94037 Robert Seidman Wed, 27 May 2009 18:56:31 +0000 http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/05/27/fox-sweeps-age-demos-for-2008-9-season-cbs-wins-average-viewership/19457#comment-94037 The issue with ties <i>isn't</i> a network PR convention, it's a Nielsen reporting convention. Whether it be household, total people or demos, Nielsen defaults in its PUBLIC reporting to using RATINGS points, and only out to one decimal point at that. As a result whatever the category there are usually MANY ties where none really exist. But in Nielsen's defense, those absolute differences are usually so tiny that it doesn't really matter and for all practical purposes they are tied. I suspect this is a legacy convention that might <i>never</i> change, but it's fair inasmuch as it advantages ALL networks' PR teams equally! Fortunately in the broadcast world, it's hardly ever worth even mentioning. If you used only one decimal place, even with viewers, FOX and CBS did tie in 25-54 for the year. PR or otherwise, CBS was hardly dealt lemons for the year. In the cable world, where the PR teams can (and do!) avail themselves to coverage ratings within demos, a more significant range of absolute viewing can be masked by ties. Instances where there are shows with higher coverage ratings but fewer viewers than shows with lower coverage ratings are plentiful. The issue with ties isn’t a network PR convention, it’s a Nielsen reporting convention. Whether it be household, total people or demos, Nielsen defaults in its PUBLIC reporting to using RATINGS points, and only out to one decimal point at that.

As a result whatever the category there are usually MANY ties where none really exist. But in Nielsen’s defense, those absolute differences are usually so tiny that it doesn’t really matter and for all practical purposes they are tied. I suspect this is a legacy convention that might never change, but it’s fair inasmuch as it advantages ALL networks’ PR teams equally!

Fortunately in the broadcast world, it’s hardly ever worth even mentioning. If you used only one decimal place, even with viewers, FOX and CBS did tie in 25-54 for the year. PR or otherwise, CBS was hardly dealt lemons for the year.

In the cable world, where the PR teams can (and do!) avail themselves to coverage ratings within demos, a more significant range of absolute viewing can be masked by ties. Instances where there are shows with higher coverage ratings but fewer viewers than shows with lower coverage ratings are plentiful.

]]>