Earlier today NBC puffed out its feathers to declare the best People-Meter margin of victory in the 21 years Nielsen has been using People Meters to measure ratings. I’d speculated (and so did someone in the comments) that there was another side to that coin and that a big part of the reason NBC was able to set such a record was because the other networks were completely stinking it up.
That turns out to be true, not that you’ll see a press release about it. The averages for ABC, CBS and Fox were the lowest recorded averages for those networks in People Meter history, both in total viewers and among adults 18-49, according to The Hollywood Reporter’s James Hibberd:
Not that NBC’s competitors were putting up much of a fight. There was scant original competition last week, with top reality hits like Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance” and ABC’s “Wipeout” having wrapped up their seasons before the Olympics started.
Read the rest on Hibberd’s The Live Feed.
ABC’s only top twenty show when ranking by total viewers was the Friday airing of 20/20. FOX was completely shut out of that top 20. Fox’s highest ranking show in the 18-49 demo was a rerun of Family Guy at #23. Among 18-49 year olds, ABC’s best performer was a repeat of Wipeout that tied for 18th.
Update: Commenter “Carl Lafong” notes that these were not historical low People Meter averages for Fox, who in its nascent days of 1986 and 1987(the year People Meters launched), and before the Simpsons and when it had less national reach than it has now, Fox had some worse performances. Carl is insistent that this be debunked before it is taken as fact. Is there really much difference between “worst in People Meter’s 21 year history” vs. “worst in over two decades”? No, probably not, but, we appreciate the precision.
Update 2: From what I hear, the “official” roll-out of the People Meter was the week of 9/21/07, and the numbers cited in the comments came before that.
August 19th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
I like that NBC has something to be proud about. I just wish some of it could stick around for the normal season. Too bad it won't.
August 19th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Just saw the promo for NBC's Robinson Crusoe, coming this Fall.
WOW!
All I can say is, no wonder they are bragging!
August 21st, 2008 at 8:41 am
It's completely untrue that FOX's average was the lowest in people meter history. Just checking two random weeks I found lower figures and there are likely many more:
Week of 9/7/87 Viewers 2+ 2.14 million — week of 10/26/87 3.05 million — week of 8/11/08 3.2 million
I was suspicious of the claim because population increases make it difficult to achieve record-low 2+ viewing versus 21 years ago.
I've known NBC to simply make shit up in the past because they think no one will check.
August 21st, 2008 at 9:14 am
MSNBC can puff its feathers with Rachel Maddow replacing Dan Abrams. She is one sharp woman and a wise choice on their part.
August 21st, 2008 at 11:16 am
while precision is appreciated if you still needed to go back TWENTY-ONE years to when Fox was a network that had been around less than a year anyway. 1987 was the first year where FOX was even on the air for the whole year and would still be two years before FOX started airing The Simpsons. So the performance was still awful, if not record breaking awful.
Just out of curiosity, what was FOX's coverage % for the week of 9/7/07.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:14 pm
I don't care how far you have to go back, the sweeping statement that FOX had its worst week ever in the people meter era last week is demonstrably false and must be debunked. Otherwise factoid becomes fact.
I could have found dozens of other weeks to further demonstrate the falsehood, but I got work to do.
Fox cleared about 85% US in those days
August 21st, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Carl, one thing you apparently neglected to note in your usage of the week of 9/7/87 is that it was like the very first week of people meter results. I'm not sure you could find DOZENS (at least 24 weeks?) of or even *one* dozen. But I updated the post anyway.
August 21st, 2008 at 2:06 pm
The people meter had been online and pushing out data since 1986, but it was evaluation data only (running side by side until the old audimeter sample was ditched in 9/87). Doesn't matter that it was new, it was the only official national TV currency by September 1987.
You question most of what I write and youve been wrong every time. I'm not going to fence with you any further.
August 21st, 2008 at 2:09 pm
I don't question your data, I just think your hair-splitting here is absolutely ridiculous.
Does it make Fox look any better? No.
August 23rd, 2008 at 5:38 pm
I think that anyone who hates the state of television today should go out of their way to watch excellent programs. Every time a viewer watches a “guilty pleasure,” like Big Brother, you are giving the networks reason to put on more of the same.
I think that most people don't realize how much the networks copy each other, because they lack creativity and imagination. If you hate all the lousy, low-budget shows that make TV practically unwatchable, DON'T WATCH THEM! Don't watch any of them, not even out of curiosity! When people watch that ca-ca out of hope of seeing a little flesh, but wishing for something better, the nets and the sponsers will both take that as a sign to make more!
My advice to America is to vote with your eyeballs: seek out the best and watch that!