Nielsen: Technical Error Causes Months of False TV Ratings

Variety ^ | October 10, 2014 | 09:35AM PT | Senior TV Editor Brian Steinberg

[kevkrom]

Comedy, especially, has a tendency to get stale. What was funny on the first viewing isn’t so funny when you come back to it years later. Some comedy does stand the test of time, and those tend to be less topical and more focused on elements of human nature that don’t change with the times.

[ArmstedFragg]

Cosby had the greatest time slot of all time.

[oh8eleven]

I've always wondered if Cosby Show was as popular as we've been told.
You mean a show with a black doctor married to a black lawyer, with 5 super-cool/hip, talented and intelligent black children wasn't really believable?

[molson209]

What is TV ?

[Sgt_Schultze]

With ad rates being predicated upon a stipulated audience that didn’t actually exist, will there be refunds?

[cicero2k]

Sheesh, what simpletons.

I bet ABC got all the unidentified viewers, because ABC is alphabetically at the top of the network list.

I mean, they don’t know about Excel formulas or null values in SQL? Or auditing by another party for accuracy via a reconciliation process?

[Organic Panic]

The same computers are at the Bureau of Labor Statistics too.

[ChronicMA]

I’m waiting for the argument that anyone should be able to vote in Nielsen whether they register or not, and whether they show their ID or not.

[NonValueAdded]

CNN really had 10 viewers and not 5 as previously reported.

[bgill]

Visions of the past two POTUS election votes.

[minnesota_bound]

The cable and ISP companies and satellite companies know exactly what shows are on. Why do they need Nielsen?

[minnesota_bound]

That show is so stupid. Only Ed O’Neill is worth watching. His wife on the show should just be quiet (irritating voice) and jiggle. Those other 2 guys (a) should be in a closet somewhere.

[Cementjungle]

My last fulltime job, before I retired, was with Nielsen, except I wasn't in the TV ratings outfit.

I did work a lot with Dave Poltrack (mentioned in the article, a big CBS exec)... I had a lot of respect for the guy.

[Fledermaus]

Who noticed? TV ratings these days are useless.

[Blue Ink]

Cosby has done well in syndication — it’s been continuously available since it was the first show to sell for a billion dollars — and that was back in the 80s. Think it’s these days on TV Land.

To your point, I always suspected ratings shenanigans with Murphy Brown, because shows that do well in prime time do well in reruns — but NOBODY watched Murphy Brown in syndication — it vanished from the rerun landscape within three years of its network run.

[Trillian]

Polka Jamboree wasn’t really #1?

[Jack Hydrazine]

LOL!

Nope!

[GeronL]

“Our entire industry relies upon Nielsen for accuracy and veracity...

Monopoly

[GeronL]

They shouldn’t let an intern do that job, they need to pay at least $15 an hour...

[ops33]

Translation: A lot of TV really does suck.