dpd (03/22/83)
The Neilson people pick "random" homes to install boxes that monitor television viewing. The homes picked are treated as a statistically valid sample of the viewing population, whether this is true or not is unclear. Ratings are then based on the viewing habits of these homes. Unfortunately, watching your favorite programs will have no affect on the program's rating. This was the point to my original letter. If you like Cheers, or any other program, enough not to see it canceled because of ratings, you must make yourself heard by the telephone or a letter to the television powers that be. "Star Trek" and "Hill Street Blues" are two shows that were saved from dying in their first year by just such viewer response. If not enough people voice their opinion to the contrary, the people with the boxes determine what is seen on the screen. It is interesting to note that the dominant viewing age group in the Neilson homes is from 10-14 years old. If you would rather see better shows on prime time than "The Dukes of Hazzard" and "Three's Company" then you have to personally let the stations know. Dave Dole hou5e!dpd
jjm (03/22/83)
Contrary to a previous comment, the Neilson Ratings are not based on a "random" selection of homes. As you statistics fiends will know, in order to have a "statistically significant" sample of a population as large as the United States, you need to randomly select a very large number (a hundred thousand?) of Americans as a representative sample. However, the A. C. Neilson Company "scientifically selects" a smaller sample. These homes are carefully selected so that a smaller sample will represent the entire viewing public. Neilson bases their ratings on a few hundred homes. I say, BULLSHIRT! I can see no way to justify this method. How many "black" families are there in the ratings? A dozen? How can a handful of people represent such a large population? Is there one well-educated black family, and one poor black family, and one city black family and one country black family? What about blacks that like science fiction? Or ballet? Or any other special interest group liking any special entertainment form? You end up with "The Jeffersons" and "Dukes of Hazzard" and garbage like that. What can you do? 1) Write to the producers. See if they can read. 2) Build a nuclear device and threaten to blow up A.C.Neilson. 3) Buy a videotape machine and watch what you want, when you want. Jim McParland American Bell - Holmdel hou5e!jjm