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 ...
“There is nothing to watch but Gay exhibitionism and redneck reality crap.”
So-called reality shows are scripted. They are as realistic as pro-wrestling.
Too many commercials — they actually increased the number a couple of years ago. A typical 1-hour program went from 42 minutes of content to about 39 minutes.
Also, repetition, especially on the cable channels. The movie, Independence Day, for example, has been showing up on various cable channels weekly for several years. The same with the Bourne movies. The same with the Harry Potter movies. etc.
Then, they are so quick to pull some series that it is difficult to invest time in new series. Chuck, Supernatural, Castle are just a few series that nearly got dropped in their first season, but held on. Supernatural is heading for Season 10.
Then, there are the programs filled with lefist political and social propaganda.
1. SelectNOT channels telefilm.
2. Commercial telefilm.
3. Commercial times rigged same time.
4. Content for dumb-downing.
5. Incessant never-ending “music” all programs.
6. Incessant never-ending “music” all program long.
7. Repeats, after repeats, after repeats.
People still watch TV? Why?
I mainly watch MeTV with all the old shows.
I know. Perhaps I should’ve put reality in quotes, but I am aware that it’s all fake.
The new normal.
>>Game Show Network. For some reason I still love the $25000 pyramid.<<
According to legend, Match Game and Hollywood Squares were done in 2 segments daily. Between segments the participants got BLASTED.
You don’t have to look too closely to see which episodes those are — and every one is worth time in GSN to see them!
I love GSN!
The “open sewer” has just moved to other outlets. People aren’t rejecting trash they’re just getting it from other sources.
You’ve hit on a couple of hot topics for sure! Too many commercials (and yes, after editing a half-hour show such as the Big Bang Theory, it is over 1/3 commercials (38.5 program and 21.5 commercials).
I also agree so much about them pulling a series so quickly and usually because it does not appeal to their ideal young viewers! Times have changed and they continue to use the same old methods about viewership and advertise/purchase power. Either way though, they just never seem to get it!
I’ve just about had it with their quick cancellations at this point and won’t even watch a program until it completes at least one season, record and wait. My new motto...heh.
Yes, the commercials are ridiculous. You forget what the hell you are watching sometimes.
I also just love how they will go back for a brief scene “teaser” for about 30 seconds and then continue with yet more commercials.
“We’ll be back with more exciting record offers after a brief scene from today’s movie”
I’m watching Hoarders at the moment. I don’t think they fake that.
I dropped Comcast about a month ago (felt great), and replaced them with a $60 over-the-air antenna. I get about 30 channels now, all free, and many in beautiful hi def. I get all the local stations, two stations that play classic TV (Andy Griffith, Lucy, etc.) I also get two stations that play nothing but movies, old ones but good ones, like On the Waterfront. All free.
What stations you can pull in depends on where you live. I doubt if you'll get much in a rural area. There are websites that'll tell you what you can get, by zip code. And you'll never get cable stations like the History Channel or Fox News.
Still, I never did watch much TV, so it works for me. Local news, local weather, old movies, it's all good.
That is what I watch too but for the last week the only two stations which show ME-TV have been showing ACC basketball which I would pay not to see. Every day I miss shows I wanted to see.
Thankfully it will be over before too long. Tomorrow they show Mudd’s Women on Star Trek and that is one of my favorites. I bet I miss it tho.
It seems there are only a few themes and among those themes there is one idea. Black Men and White Females romantically involved. I see it over and over and have to turn to something else. Also titles like Schitts Creek is really getting too crude I just don’t like that garbage but some people do.
The TV execs just had a meeting and decided more homosexual programming was the solution to their problem.
It is amazing how quickly they have integrated gay marriage into prime time. Men refer to their “husbands” in conversations like it is the most natural thing in the world.
The only reason that CNN, MSNBC, and network morning shows have any ratings at all is because they’re background noise in hotels and airports all over the country. I’m more than happy to kill the system that spawned them.
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