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To: discostu
"It’s not like there’s some government mandate that makes Nielson the sole source of information. There are other companies that provide data, they are used and compared against the Nielson data, even with all that other data everybody benchmarks from Nielson. That’s a free market."

Really?

Interesting take, then explain why shows like Firefly and Jericho were canceled based on Neilsen's Data when the Satelite and Cable systems were showing totall different viewership?

BTW a market can still be Un-Free without government intervention. Its why there are laws against Monopolies in the US which BTW is exactly what Nielsen's System has been for many years. Now with the advent of the internet and new Digital technology they are being challenged but they still control that market.

One of the major indicators that the system was seriously flawed on numbers data is when Firefly went to DVD and it outsold the Star Wars episode that was released on DVD at the same time for many weeks in a row.

Futon Critic run some numbers on the phenomenon and it was telling. I wonder if it is any coincidence that the stealth campaign against TIVO tracking viewers habits started hitting the mainstream at about the same time.

85 posted on 12/20/2007 7:29:36 AM PST by Mad Dawgg ("`Eddies,' said Ford, `in the space-time continuum.' `Ah,' nodded Arthur, `is he? Is he?'")
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To: Mad Dawgg

Explain to me why if canceling Firefly was such a stupid move the movie totally tanked. The cable and satellite numbers aren’t the benchmarks, and things like the complete failure of Serenity show why. But that data is available to the networks and advertisers if they chose to use it. Which is why the market is free. There ARE other sources of data that ARE used, they just don’t get to be the benchmark. And maybe one of these days they’ll prove themselves to be more reliable numbers and they will become the benchmark.

And there you go again on some silly “anti-TIVO” campaign. which you now classify as stealthy thus proving how completely silly it is. Yes let’s make a campaign to get people up in arms about Tivo’s tracking method, but let’s do it so stealthily that no one knows they’re supposed to be against Tivo’s tracking methods.

Really you’ve gotten painfully redundant here. The facts are still the same:
Nielson is NOT the only source of data
The networks and advertisers use MANY sources for their ratings and demographic data
But even with all those other sources of data available to them they FREELY chose to make Nielson the benchmark source for setting ad rates

That all adds up to a 100% FREE market. Your objections and patently ridiculous conspiracy theories aside.

We’re done, good bye, good luck, please accept my sincere wishes for the best Christmas of your life.


86 posted on 12/20/2007 7:45:05 AM PST by discostu (a mountain is something you don't want to %^&* with)
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