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Snake2715

Snake2715

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Ok,

I figure with the collective minds of CAG someone could enlighten me.

I have always wondered how TV stations know or calculate their viewers they get each weak?

Is it an estimate or do they have some way of measuring the people that tune in. How does this work?
 
I'm almost positive it's an estimate. They have trackers on a certain percentage of families TVs and base the number off of that. So if a percentage of the tracker TVs are watching a particular show, they apply this to the total number of possible viewers. I could be wrong though.
 
Nielsen ratings. One family out of thousands get a box they hook up to the tv, which transmits what they watch to the nielsen company. It is supposed to be a representive sample of the population, but who knows.
 
The pollsters take a small sampling representative of the overall viewing audience, so yes, a small percentage of the population does actually have little electronic gizmos attached to their tv sets recording what channels they're watching and when. Of course, the tv could be on with nobody watching it, so the error rate isn't exactly zero.
 
Both.
A certain percentage of television viewers are Neilsen families, who track everything they watch. Those stats are extrapolated into the whole population.

Here's some info about Neilsen ratings.

"The way that Nielsen Media Research finds out about who is watching is to measure what a sample of television viewers are watching. For our national ratings estimates, we use a sample of more than 5,000 households, containing over 13,000 people who have agreed to participate.'

In addition to the permanent black boxes that track set or people habits, there's sweeps, where people manually track what they're watching ina diary. We got to do that once.
"We conduct diary measurement for more than 200 individual local television four times each year, during February, May, July, and November: (You may have heard of these as "sweep" months, in which we conduct a complete diary measurement across the nation.)"

http://www.nielsenmedia.com/whatratingsmean/
Here's a university's assignment based on this
http://www.itrc.ucf.edu/webcamp/final_projects/shearer/learning.htm

Here's some more, very indepth info about it.
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/R/htmlR/ratings/ratings.htm
 
IMO it's a crappy representative sample, because they continue to make those horrible reality TV shows. What happened to all the good programming? I rarely watch any TV outside of Food Network these days.
 
[quote name='xenoman80'][quote name='xenoman80']what is a bump?[/quote] what does bump mena? you gus always bump each other[/quote]

A "bump" simply means your moving the thread up to the front page or top of the forum list by posting in it.
 
Bump means 'add a post so this thread gets shown on the 'new posts' section.'
Mostly used for FS/FT posts, it's a way to bring a thread back to people's attention.

There's a lot of statistics and random sampling theory built into ratings; it's certainly not perfect, but they have minimized the errors.
And even if a tv is on but no one is actively 'watching' it, that program is still being obversed peripherally.
 
[quote name='moiety']IMO it's a crappy representative sample, because they continue to make those horrible reality TV shows. What happened to all the good programming? I rarely watch any TV outside of Food Network these days.[/quote]

Unfortunately, *somebody* must be watching it. I know I'm not. But they also may not target the 'largest' audience, rather the 'best' audience. Best = bring in most money. Meaning the 18-35 primarily male demographic, which apparently loves "reality" shows.
Of course, we're also seeing the bandwagon effect--a show or genre is a hit, so everyone jumps on it and milks the crap out of it before it dies [remember the 9-nights-a-week of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?]
 
[quote name='dtcarson'][quote name='moiety']IMO it's a crappy representative sample, because they continue to make those horrible reality TV shows. What happened to all the good programming? I rarely watch any TV outside of Food Network these days.[/quote]

Unfortunately, *somebody* must be watching it. I know I'm not. But they also may not target the 'largest' audience, rather the 'best' audience. Best = bring in most money. Meaning the 18-35 primarily male demographic, which apparently loves "reality" shows.
Of course, we're also seeing the bandwagon effect--a show or genre is a hit, so everyone jumps on it and milks the crap out of it before it dies [remember the 9-nights-a-week of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?][/quote]

Right, I totally agree there. It's just so tiresome to see these cookie cutter shows keep coming out, I had to vent. :p
 
the invisible person in your house calls up the goverment whenever you're doing something different...whether its changing the channel, biting your nails, taking the trash out...etc....seriously...
 
[quote name='eurenix']Yeah, what is it that Ryu yells during his dragon punch?[/quote]

Ha-do-ken!...Or at least I think that's how you spell it.

Edit: Nevermind, that's the fireball, but i do remember it is supposed to mean Rising Dragon Fist or something like that.

Edit2: So curious I had to listen to it, it's like sho-ryu-ken I think.
 
[quote name='dtcarson'][quote name='moiety']IMO it's a crappy representative sample, because they continue to make those horrible reality TV shows. What happened to all the good programming? I rarely watch any TV outside of Food Network these days.[/quote]

Unfortunately, *somebody* must be watching it. I know I'm not. But they also may not target the 'largest' audience, rather the 'best' audience. Best = bring in most money. Meaning the 18-35 primarily male demographic, which apparently loves "reality" shows.
Of course, we're also seeing the bandwagon effect--a show or genre is a hit, so everyone jumps on it and milks the crap out of it before it dies [remember the 9-nights-a-week of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?][/quote]

Actually reality & game shows audiences are often targeted more at women than men (with the exception of a few of course). To be honest, network prime time TV in general targets females much more than 18-35 males.
 
There was a great comedic soap opera in the 70's called 'Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.' At one point in the series Mary is confined to a psych ward. While meeting some of the other patients while watching TV she notices a strange box attached to the TV. She asks if this is what she thinks it is. Yes, at least one Nielson Family is composed of mental patients.
 
[quote name='The Successful Dropout']the invisible person in your house calls up the goverment whenever you're doing something different...whether its changing the channel, biting your nails, taking the trash out...etc....seriously...[/quote]

"Not Me" from Family Circus?

I don't know if Neilsen pays. You can't retire off them, that's for sure [well, unless you work for them.] When we did ours, we got a token 1.00 as thank you.

I think you're right about the demographics--a lot of the 18-35 male pop is now spending their time and money on videogames or dvd, but the female pop is underrepresented in those activities, so they're bigger targets by the networks.
 
[quote name='dtcarson'][quote name='The Successful Dropout']the invisible person in your house calls up the goverment whenever you're doing something different...whether its changing the channel, biting your nails, taking the trash out...etc....seriously...[/quote]

"Not Me" from Family Circus?

I don't know if Neilsen pays. You can't retire off them, that's for sure [well, unless you work for them.] When we did ours, we got a token 1.00 as thank you.

I think you're right about the demographics--a lot of the 18-35 male pop is now spending their time and money on videogames or dvd, but the female pop is underrepresented in those activities, so they're bigger targets by the networks.[/quote]

Whenever I get one of those surveys that has a dollar bill included I can never stop myself from saying, "Aw, but I wanted a peanut!"
 
[quote name='xenoman80'][quote name='eurenix']Yeah, what is it that Ryu yells during his dragon punch?[/quote]
lol[/quote]
It's a serious question. I hear it as something like "All you get", but I somehow doubt that's it.
 
[quote name='eurenix'][quote name='xenoman80'][quote name='eurenix']Yeah, what is it that Ryu yells during his dragon punch?[/quote]
lol[/quote]
It's a serious question. I hear it as something like "All you get", but I somehow doubt that's it.[/quote]
lol
 
[quote name='epobirs']
Whenever I get one of those surveys that has a dollar bill included I can never stop myself from saying, "Aw, but I wanted a peanut!"[/quote]

But one dollar can buy many peanuts.
 
[quote name='dtcarson'][quote name='epobirs']
Whenever I get one of those surveys that has a dollar bill included I can never stop myself from saying, "Aw, but I wanted a peanut!"[/quote]

But one dollar can buy many peanuts.[/quote]

"Explain how..."

[quote name='MaxBiaggi3'][quote name='eurenix'][quote name='xenoman80'][quote name='eurenix']Yeah, what is it that Ryu yells during his dragon punch?[/quote]
lol[/quote]
It's a serious question. I hear it as something like "All you get", but I somehow doubt that's it.[/quote]
lol[/quote]

I answered on the first page (shoryuken) even though I had to edit it twice. And I dunno what it literally means but I think it's supposed to mean rising dragon fist, could be wrong though.
 
I think the reason you get the $1 is to make you feel just the slightest bit of guilt so you feel obligated to do the surveying process. "I don't want to do it, but.........they did give me a whole dollar."

My family was tapped for the radio ratings. That one isn't nearly as easy as the TV survey sounds to be. The TV survey gives you a box; the radio survey makes you write everything down over a week's time period.
 
Money can be exchanged for goods and services.

Much like the 1.00 given for the service of recording your watching/listening habits [way to correal back on topic!]

Lord slappy--Only the 'long term' neilsen families get the automatic box. There are two kinds, IIRC--one that's attached to the TV and tracks on/off/channel, and doesnt' require the user to do anything; and one that's like a remote, that requires some sort of user intervention where Person A has to identify it's him watching the program, or something like that.
For the sweeps, which are short term, they give you a logbook like you had for the radio. By 15 min or 30 min period, what channel, what show, how long, and who watched, I think. We did it for 10 days or so.
 
Heres a question thats been pissing me off.

The human body temperature is on average 98.6 degree's farenheit.

Why is it that if a human is put inot an environtment with a temperature of 98.6, it is registered as being "hot"? It is the same temperature as the body, shoudl it not feel that way?
 
I think that has something to do with how well we release heat.

"Ordinarily, the body is at a fairly constant temperature of 98.6 degrees F. This, of course, refers to the interior of the body and not to the skin surfaces, which vary in temperature. Nature has so evolved the human body that any serious departure from this normal temperature of 98.6 degrees F is dangerous to health."

"But since the body is continually receiving a heat gain from surrounding and interior processes, there must also be a continuous outgo of heat to keep a balance."
" the human body is able to adapt itself automatically to summer and winter conditions. Indoor air conditions that are quite comfortable in summer are decidedly uncomfortable in winter, and vice versa."

Basically it looks to me like its a question of equilibrium; the higher the external temperature is, the harder our bodies have to work to maintain its regular temperature, which it does by giving off heat. "heat always travels from regions of higher temperature to regions of lower temperature,' so if you're in a zone that is equal to or higher than your body temp, the body can't give off heat.

More than you wanted to know about body heat:

http://www.maritime.org/fleetsub/refrig/chap16.htm
 
[quote name='legion_stxds']How come the vending machine Nazi doesn't refill the mountain dew?[/quote]

Perhaps he does refill it, but it's popular, so it empties faster?
Or it doesn't well enough, so he never brings any to refill it with.
Or maybe the owner/lessor of the machine bought X of this and Y of this, and the number of Dews has already been sold?
 
[quote name='eurenix'][quote name='xenoman80'][quote name='eurenix']Yeah, what is it that Ryu yells during his dragon punch?[/quote]
lol[/quote]
It's a serious question. I hear it as something like "All you get", but I somehow doubt that's it.[/quote]

its shoryuken as somebody already said.
his spin kick is called tatsumaki senpukyaku.
his fireball is hadoken.
 
I use to know the answer to this question, but I forgot and I'm too lazy to look it up again.

Why is the sky blue?
 
I was nielson "family" in college, 4 twentysomething guys, not a great choice on their part but whatever, they sent us a scanner, we needed to scan a sheet to show what we watched and also asked to scan our groceries. so according to the neilsons Pittsburghers in general like squeeze cheese and the simpsons, this was 7 years ago mind you
 
Well, the sky isn't always blue, the other night there was a beautiful orange sunset.
But it's basically light waves being scattered, absorbed, or passed through the atmosphere. Depending on where you are, the angle the light has to pass through, what's in the atmosphere, and how much atmosphere the light has to pass through to get to you, the sky appears different colors. Including blue.
 
[quote name='SneakyPenguin']Heres a question thats been pissing me off.

The human body temperature is on average 98.6 degree's farenheit.

Why is it that if a human is put inot an environtment with a temperature of 98.6, it is registered as being "hot"? It is the same temperature as the body, shoudl it not feel that way?[/quote]

What dt said earlier...the same reason you don't feel cold when it's 70 outside. The body temparture comes from the metabolic reactions inside your body. In fact most mammals have body temps in the 98-100 degree range. Your body works to maintain the hemostatic temperature through different involuntary reactions to keep it comfortable in whatever the climate may be and that's what creates the sensation of feeling hot of cold. Or at least that's how I always understood it...

[quote name='legion_stxds']How come the vending machine Nazi doesn't refill the mountain dew?[/quote]

Clearly it's because he hates you and he's really Hitler just like the sandwich guy on Andy Ricther controls the Universe...

[quote name='zewone']I use to know the answer to this question, but I forgot and I'm too lazy to look it up again.

Why is the sky blue?[/quote]

It's not really...it's more how you percieve the light from the sun being scattered and asorbed by gas mocules in the air and it appears blue to your eyes.
 
[quote name='dtcarson']Perhaps he does refill it, but it's popular, so it empties faster?
Or it doesn't well enough, so he never brings any to refill it with.
Or maybe the owner/lessor of the machine bought X of this and Y of this, and the number of Dews has already been sold?[/quote]

Hmmm... :whistle2:k

[quote name='Duo_Maxwell']Clearly it's because he hates you and he's really Hitler just like the sandwich guy on Andy Ricther controls the Universe...[/quote]

I knew it :!: :!: :!: :wink:
 
[quote name='Duo_Maxwell']Clearly it's because he hates you and he's really Hitler just like the sandwich guy on Andy Ricther controls the Universe...[/quote]

[quote name='dtcarson']I knew it :!: :!: :!: :wink:[/quote]

The truth is out there.
 
[quote name='fanskad']Why is the truth out there?[/quote]

Because everything has an explanation, even if you don't know it yet.
 
[quote name='Duo_Maxwell'][quote name='fanskad']Why is the truth out there?[/quote]

Cause that's what TV taught us and we'll be damned if we don't follow.[/quote]

Must obey the talking box... must obey...
 
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