How Do They Get Ratings Numbers?

[Sugarcoated]

I always thought it was a special box you were given, one had to be a "Nielson Family", but with cable boxes in most homes can what we watch now be tracked also? For example, if I tune in to the beginning of O'Reilly to see if General Clark is on and then switch to something else does that count as a "viewer" for O'Reilly? It trooubles me greatly if I've been inadvertently boosting Faux's ratings.

[napi21]

1. I've asked a similar question before and haven't gotten an answer.

I have to believe the cable companies can tell what chanel you are viewing, or at the very least viewers in the aggregate by chanel. However, every report I ever hear is always based on Neilson. I'll be watching to see some of the responses you get. I keep hoping to hear from someone who works for a cable co who can answer us.

[Arkansas Granny]

2. A few years ago I was contacted by Nielson about giving ratings

and they sent me a booklet to keep track of my TV watching. I didn't have cable at the time. A few weeks ago a friend of mine who has cable was contacted and sent the same booklet to fill out and return to them. I don't have any idea as to whether they can track what you watch through your cable box, but I would think that if they could, they would not being sending booklets to cable subscribers. Just guessing.

[Lasher]

3. Google is your friend

In a specially selected sample of homes, Nielsen Media Research technicians install metering equipment on TV sets, VCRs and cable boxes (and even satellite dishes). The NielsenTV meters automatically and invisibly keep track of when the sets are on and what the sets are tuned to. These meters are connected to a central "black box," which is actually a very small computer and modem. Information from the meters is collected by the black box, and in the middle of the night all the black boxes call in their information to our central computers.

http://www.nielsenmedia.com/whatratingsmean/

[dmr4567]

4. Sorry I don't have an answer for you

But I have been wondering about Tv shows I tape after taping the Tv will remain on that channel
so am I being counted as a viewer on those shows that come after the one I taped Curious on how this whole thing works hope we get some answers Thanks for putting it out there

[KurtNYC]

5. Neilsen and arbitron

certain cable companies CAN tell in real time what their cable boxes are tuned to but they don't know 1) who is watching 2) IF you are watching 3) if the TV is even turned on.

The ratings that count, and make money for the content providers (eg. MSNBC, Faux, etc) are either Neilsen or Arbitron ratings. Neilsen used to specialize in broadcast TV only. They used 5,000 "Neilsen families" to extrapolate what they rest of us are allegedly tuned in to. Arbitron used to do the cable ratings using phone surveys I believe.

Things are in flux. Neilsen is being pushed to rate commercials (eg. how many actually watch versus how many flip during the breaks or have TIVO etc.). TV advertising is getting beat up as ad buyers turn to other ad media (internet and lifestyle buys).

Arbitron: http://www.arbitron.com/cable/home.htm
Neilsen: http://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/stories/2006/07/10/daily21.html

[WCGreen]

6. I do know they break the ratings down into 15 min increments ..

[Xenotime]

7. If you have digital cable...

rating can be collected by your provider. Tivo too, I think.

[rock]

8. Sounds like a question for "Ask Cecil" or

"the Incredible Inman".


So no sooner than I posted than I thought, "Let's take a look!" Try http://www.straightdope.com/columns/030221.html for "Who is Nielsen and how does he count who watches tv?"