Comments on: Updated: Ratings cabal = group therapy and pressure on Nielsen

By: Vid-Biz: CIMM, AT&T, FCC

Vid-Biz: CIMM, AT&T, FCC — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:41:27 +0000

[...] trying to take on Nielsen. Robert Seidman calls the initiative “group therapy.” (TV by the Numbers) The coalition has only raised $1.4 million in total seed funding from the 14 founders of the [...]

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:05:38 +0000

I think some of you are underestimating the joy that the consortium participants get from sticking it to Nielsen. A reporter PAID by the Nielsen empire (and someone who should’ve known better) wrote a story headlined “Nielsen Challenged by new ratings system”

he subsequently corrected the headline and updated the story — but still got the link from Drudge report which has not been updated and still reads “Networks unveil new TV ratings system; Challenge Nielsen”

Of course there IS NO NEW RATINGS SYSTEM and the consortium was very quick to distance itself from challenging Nielsen. But there’s NO WAY they don’t LOVE stories like that, headlined like that, being out there.

By: JustTunedIn

JustTunedIn — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:51:55 +0000

It will be important to advertisers who advertise within shows. I wonder how much product placement advertisers pay to get their products featured (or at least visible) in shows.

By: Julia

Julia — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:03:45 +0000

Nielsen is already spinning their plans to ultimately include online video viewing in the TV ratings even if it won’t do it for a couple of years.

Which, of course, will be completely meaningless, just like out-of-home viewing and the whole college experiments, since the advertisers will ultimately refuse to pay.

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:48:46 +0000

I think it may be somewhat equivalent to a parent telling their child “I’m keeping my eyes on you!”, and likely have just about as much effect

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:40:42 +0000

I think the better question is “how much does pressure matter, even if there is pressure?”

My guess is not much, but it likely makes the networks and the advertisers FEEL better. Just by having a regular forum to bitch about “the way things are” is pressure and Nielsen is already spinning their plans to ultimately include online video viewing in the TV ratings even if it won’t do it for a couple of years. Is this happening any sooner because of CIMM? I doubt it, but Nielsen is at least spinning it sooner than they probably otherwise would’ve.

By: Julia

Julia — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:31:03 +0000

Since everyone with even the slightest bit of understanding of how things work knows that this is all just for show, pretty much, how much pressure can they really put on Nielsen anyway?

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:55:30 +0000

Bill, I think Jon was referring to the normal weekly late night ratings release. I’m guessing they too, are 1 day delayed by Labor Day and will come out tomorrow, if not later today.

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:55:00 +0000

Bravo on the graphic choice!

By: jon

jon — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:53:38 +0000

I was just wondering, because every Thursday at around 1:30 the weekly late night ratings come in and they haven’t come in today, is there a reason for that?

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:44:44 +0000

Jon, my guess is we’re not going to see the late night people meter numbers for last night since they typically arrive at about the same time as the primetime overnight numbers do for us.

By: Jon

Jon — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:41:44 +0000

Hey Robert, when are the late night ratings going to come in?