Posted on 03/15/2015 7:15:25 PM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
February was another heartbreaker for the $65 billion television ad business.
Commercial ratings — the viewing “currency” that determines what advertisers pay for TV time — cratered across broadcast and cable networks, marking the fifth straight month of double-digit declines for the industry.
“It’s clear the downward spiral in TV ratings continues with no end in sight,” media analyst Michael Nathanson wrote in a research note on Friday.
Overall prime-time broadcast network ratings were off 12 percent last month compared to a year ago, while cable networks dropped 11 percent, according to his report.
Nathanson looked at so-called C3 ratings, which come in later than traditional ratings. They measure average commercial viewership in shows up to three days after the original air date via DVR playback.
While a couple of networks that carried the Super Bowl and the Olympics last year clearly suffered because of tougher comparisons, almost every channel was hurting.
Looking at total-day C3 ratings, only three networks boosted their audience: HGTV, Discovery and TBS, while TNT, History and Nickelodeon fell the most.
Typically, TV ad sales executives can increase prices to compensate for a ratings decline, citing scarcity. But Nathanson said seismic changes are pressuring networks to hold the line on pricing.
Although some of the ratings declines can be blamed on changes to Nielsen’s measuring methods, among other changes, “we believe these terrible ratings trends are also indicative of changing viewership habits,” he wrote.
The numbers underscore the rapid changes in how TV viewers are consuming content.
Americans are increasingly watching TV shows on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon streaming and other services. Some 40 percent of households now have subscription video service, Nielsen reported earlier this week.
Yahoo, Amazon and Hulu are among the bidders for the streaming rights to “Seinfeld” episodes, WSJ.com reported Friday.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
We certainly need to aid their demise as quickly as possible.
There has to be a new name for watching a screen and being entertained at home that clarifies that one is not on the cable/air.
“Viewing?” “Screening?” And instead of calling it a TV call it something else...My entertainment screen? ES for short?
For $60 a month, their site advertises: Unlimited Nationwide, Unlimited Mobile to Mobile to Mexico, China, India & Canada plus select international landline destinations.
Good idea.
It is getting to the point for me I am thinking about dumping cable TV.
>>I’m watching Hoarders at the moment. I don’t think they fake that.<<
They fake EVERYTHING! Chances are that the old fart started with 3 cardboard boxes in his living room before the producers had the set dressers haul in another 150, then said “action!”
Even *sob* Love it or List It is fake — except Hillary is hawt no matter what.
Thanks!
I guess I’ll need to figure out the initial cost of a new tv (mine isn’t HD) and the increased cost of wifi to see how cost effective this will be. I know in the long run...it will be cheaper since the cost of satellite keeps going up, up, up. And I only watch a few of the stations.
you are right.
every reality show has in the credits in fine print that some scenes are reinacted for dramatic effect.
I was watching the Swamp Guys and one of the alligator hunters motor broke and he was stranded.
I then occurred to me that the guy in the boat with the camera might be able to help him.
>>I then occurred to me that the guy in the boat with the camera might be able to help him.<<
The only time I ever saw a camera person get involved was on an old episode of “Cops” where the cameraman knew CPR and helped revive a very real victim.
“Cops” was the only true reality sow and even then there is some camera-twisting (such as when the cop with the cameraman gets on the scene he all but takes over no matter his rank).
Just like “survivor” or “Amazing Race” no one will be injured for real, have illness untreated, go hungry or get mugged.
Not quite everything. I had an episode of Garage Gold filmed at my place about a month ago. Absolutely it was scripted. But on the other hand they really cleaned out my garage and re-made it quite well. It didn't cost me a cent. They sure didn't fake cleaning up the garage.
>>It didn’t cost me a cent. They sure didn’t fake cleaning up the garage.<<
And carted your stuff to the nearest episode of “Hoarders” (LOL)
Makes sense, yes?
I was thinking pretty much the same thing when I saw a guy hop on his bass boat at the end of an episode and go motoring off into the sunset. You left your cameraman behind, chief.
TV isn’t nearly as good as it was 40-50 years ago when we only had 3 channels. Each season the language becomes more base along with the story lines. Pretty bad when the most exciting thing to watch is Antique Road Show.
The stuff they took was pure junk. IOW, it probably went straight to hoarders. Good riddance.
Someday someone is going to take the play-list from each radio station and you will be able to enter the call letters and stream their music without all of the commercials and yack. They will make millions.
Just get a digital antenna and stream what you really want to watch for free on your computer. You can actually hook your computer up to your tv with a digital adapter and an hdmi cable. Its really simple.
I have a digital adapter for my laptop and another one for my ipad and there are free streaming sites everywhere. I don’t pay for anything.
My rule, since the first showing of gay action on Torchwood, 2006.
Makes no difference to me how really creative and good the series might be otherwise: I never watch it again.
Same goes for "Revenge".
Same goes for that ugly abomination version of a famous Space drama series, which name I even refuse to remember.
If it's gay, it's permanently forgotten.
But the writers and producers seem immune to being able even to notice! D'UH!! Why did our series fail?
As I repeat ad infinitum, that only happens to me once per series.
No exceptions.
How about SyFy showing everything-goes cage fighting without the cage, and wrestling, and crap that is so meaningless that it escapes my memory...
The name change from SciFi should have been a clue.
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