RATINGS WRECK (Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)

New York Post ^ | December 11, 2007 | Holly M. Sanders

[abb]

Facing a severe ratings decline and disgruntled advertisers, NBC is taking the unusual step of offering cash back - rather than additional ad time - to compensate for the shortfall. When the major networks fail to deliver the prime-time ratings they promised advertisers, they almost always offer extra ad spots, or "make goods," as reimbursement.

But ad buyers said NBC is in a tough position because it is so far below its ratings guarantees. What's more, it doesn't have enough spots to give away after having sold much of its available inventory.

NBC's overall ratings for November "sweeps" slumped 20 percent from the year-earlier period, Nielsen figures show. The key 18-to-49 demographic was down 14 percent.

"NBC has no chance," said one ad buyer. "They are missing by so much."

The network is returning an average of $500,000 per advertiser, according to trade pub MediaWeek, which first reported the news. A spokeswoman for NBC declined to comment.

Such a move a few years ago would have been unthinkable. But NBC is a fourth-ranked network mired in a dismal fall season that failed to produce any breakout shows.

snip

[ops33]

“The nets have blamed ratings softness on the conversion of the upfront sales metric this season from live program ratings to commercial ratings plus three-day DVR viewing (C3)”

This sentance isn’t even written in any understandable language! No wonder they’re clueless.

[hinckley buzzard]

Too bad that the technology is so spectacular, but there is so little of quality to watch. It’s like having a top-of-the-line Lexus and nothing but dirt roads

Given the option of watching network teevee, I'd rather drive my Lexus down a dirt road in Texas.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

NBC could save some money by getting rid of Olberman and Dan Abrams and going back to those celebrity biographies. I think they had higher ratings...