Subject: Re: Nielsons (was:Re: Secret Diary sales)
From: howells@earth.arc.nasa.gov (John Howells)
Date: 1990-11-01, 07:25
Newsgroups: alt.tv.twin-peaks
Reply-to: howells@earth.arc.nasa.gov

I was asked not once but twice to keep a ratings diary back in the early
'80s. This was for the Nielsen ratings, by the way. I have no idea how
they decided to pick me, so I guess it must be totally random. Here's
what they did:

They sent me a ratings diary good for two weeks. Every 15 minute slice
had to be logged - even if I only watched something for 5 minutes - and
the number of viewers in the room at any given time was also to be logged.
They also wanted to know when the tv was on without anyone watching. There
was absolutely nothing in the instructions about VCRs.

I thought this ratings diary would be a good opportunity to plug shows I
wanted to have stay on the air, so I filled in a lot of PBS and other
things I liked, even if I wasn't around to watch when they were on. In
other words, I cheated! I'm sure I wasn't the only one cheating on the
diary, so I'm totally unconvinced as to the accuracy of any such ratings
schemes.

Everyone I know at work watches TP, but mostly on tape. Just look at the
number of postings in this group! After a few days of not reading I fired
it up only to find 500+ articles! I just don't believe any ratings service
that puts TP at the bottom and something like Golden Girls (I don't know
anyone who watches it) at the top.

--
John Howells
howells@earth.arc.nasa.gov 
howells@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov