TV everywhere is in the middle of their important February Sweeps period when the stations vie for top ratings so they can brag and garner higher ad rates. It’s the time of year much like September Sweeps when they roll out their much ballyhooed investigative reports like “Why red cars no longer sell” or “Citrus mold, the next big thing!” So to pull your national anchor in the middle of a sweeps period would be a disaster for the network and many of the NBC affiliates too.
Too juicy a dilemma to dismiss.
February sweeps are no big deal. May and November are the biggest one with November the biggest of all, where the annual rates are set.
Yes, it’s a ratings book period but one NBC can afford to take the hit on.