Subject: Re: Unfair TV Ratings - Ron Reagan show (TP/30Something)
From: cdt@sw.stratus.com (C. D. Tavares)
Date: 1991-08-30, 10:48
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv,alt.tv.twin-peaks

In article <1991Aug30.152230.7602@casbah.acns.nwu.edu>, phil@eecs.nwu.edu (William LeFebvre) writes:
> > |>  Where do they get the people to join?
> > 
> > They select them at random (see my previous post).  They probably use
> > information on property ownership from various governmental agencies
> > to determine what is a residence.  Then they call them on the phone.

One man's experience:  I was wandering through the Springfield (VA) mall one
day when I saw a new shop with a name something like Opinion Research.  I went
in and asked them what they were.  They were a marketing research firm (don't
ask me why they were in the middle of a mall -- I don't know!)  I put my name
down on their list of people who offered to have their opinions polled.

About two weeks later, Arbitron chose our household for a week-long survey.
I have reason to believe the two circumstances here were intimately connected.
(Turns out they didn't get the survey after all, because our TV was stolen 
on Monday of the week we were supposed to report.)

Anyway, I wouldn't give these clowns high marks for randomness, but then
I suppose I'm statistically insignificant myself.
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