Comments on: Broadcast Prime-time for 2008-9: Look Out Below! http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/09/19/broadcast-prime-time-for-2008-9-look-out-below/5182 Nielsen TV Show Ratings, Data and More Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:46:35 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Gleebo http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/09/19/broadcast-prime-time-for-2008-9-look-out-below/5182#comment-23875 Gleebo Wed, 24 Sep 2008 06:27:50 +0000 http://tvbythenumbers.com/?p=5182#comment-23875 I wonder when other outlets will start recognizing this trend when it comes to reporting the Nielsen ratings. There are just too many cable options to expect shows to draw 20 million viewers outside of the current 'buzz' shows. Couple that with quick turn around on DVD season sets and DVR delayed viewing a show that only averages 8 to 10 million viewers a week isn't as big of a flop as it would have been a decade ago. If Lost, Heroes, 24, and House would have been on in the landscape of television in the late 80's or early 90's they probably would have been doing double the viewers they are right now. Comedies like The Office, How I Met Your Mother, and Scrubs would probably have been competitive with the likes of Fraiser or Cheers. I wonder when other outlets will start recognizing this trend when it comes to reporting the Nielsen ratings. There are just too many cable options to expect shows to draw 20 million viewers outside of the current ‘buzz’ shows. Couple that with quick turn around on DVD season sets and DVR delayed viewing a show that only averages 8 to 10 million viewers a week isn’t as big of a flop as it would have been a decade ago.

If Lost, Heroes, 24, and House would have been on in the landscape of television in the late 80’s or early 90’s they probably would have been doing double the viewers they are right now. Comedies like The Office, How I Met Your Mother, and Scrubs would probably have been competitive with the likes of Fraiser or Cheers.

]]> By: Robert Seidman http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/09/19/broadcast-prime-time-for-2008-9-look-out-below/5182#comment-23575 Robert Seidman Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:18:56 +0000 http://tvbythenumbers.com/?p=5182#comment-23575 To add some data: we regularly post the top 20-30 weekly cable networks here: http://tvbythenumbers.com/category/nielsen-weekly-network-tv-ratings/top-cable-networks And the big four broadcast networks plus CW and Univision here: http://tvbythenumbers.com/category/nielsen-weekly-network-tv-ratings/top-cable-networks for the most recent week we have data for it took about the whole top 20 cable networks in primetime to reach the same average primetime viewership as the combined ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, CW and Univision. To add some data: we regularly post the top 20-30 weekly cable networks here:

http://tvbythenumbers.com/category/nielsen-weekly-network-tv-ratings/top-cable-networks

And the big four broadcast networks plus CW and Univision here:

http://tvbythenumbers.com/category/nielsen-weekly-network-tv-ratings/top-cable-networks

for the most recent week we have data for it took about the whole top 20 cable networks in primetime to reach the same average primetime viewership as the combined ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, CW and Univision.

]]> By: Bill Gorman http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/09/19/broadcast-prime-time-for-2008-9-look-out-below/5182#comment-23574 Bill Gorman Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:15:13 +0000 http://tvbythenumbers.com/?p=5182#comment-23574 Doghouse, the only detail about which networks Nielsen included in each category was better formatted in the <a href="http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/04/16/where-did-the-primetime-broadcast-audience-go/3362" rel="nofollow">original post here</a>, but here's the information. Network Affiliates: 1984-90: ABC, CBS, NBC affiliates 1991-1999: ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX Affiliates 1999-December 25, 2005: ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, WB, UPN, PAX affiliates December 26, 2005-January 29 2006: ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, WB, UPN, UNI, PAX affiliates January 30, 2006-February 26, 2006: ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, WB, UPN, UNI, TEL, PAX affiliates February 27, 2006-August 27, 2006: ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, WB, UPN, UNI, TEL, TF, PAX affiliates August 28, 2006 - September 3, 2006 : ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, WB, UPN, UNI, TEL, TF, AZA, PAX affiliates September 4, 2006 - Present : ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, WB, UPN, UNI, TEL, TF, AZA, PAX, MNT affiliates Independent: 1984-90: Commercial independent stations including FOX affiliates and TBS 1991-99: Commericial independent stations including WB, UPN affiiliates and superstations except forTBS. 1999-present: Commercial independent stations including Telemundo and Univision affiliates. Excludes TBS Public: PBS affiliates Ad Supported/Basic Cable: 1999-present: Viewing to advertiser supported cable networks. Includes TBS and WGN cable. 1984-99: Tuning to basic cable including Pay-Per-View 1991-1999: Tuning to basic cable including TBS and Pay-Per-View. Premium/Pay Cable: 1999-present: Viewing to premium pay cable services. 1984-99: Cable Subscribers receiving at least one premium channel. This does not include Pay-Per-View. All Other Cable: 1999-present: tuning to cable networks that are neither ad-supported nor premium pay, includes pay-per-view, interactive channels, home shopping channels, and audio only feeds. *Effective 1991, FOX and TBS changed from Independents to Network Affiliates and Basic Cable Respectively. **Combination of Live data and Live+7 data. ***Live+7 data All years prior to 2005-6 are Live Data. Doghouse, the only detail about which networks Nielsen included in each category was better formatted in the original post here, but here’s the information.

Network Affiliates:
1984-90: ABC, CBS, NBC affiliates
1991-1999: ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX Affiliates
1999-December 25, 2005: ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, WB, UPN, PAX affiliates
December 26, 2005-January 29 2006: ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, WB, UPN, UNI, PAX affiliates
January 30, 2006-February 26, 2006: ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, WB, UPN, UNI, TEL, PAX affiliates
February 27, 2006-August 27, 2006: ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, WB, UPN, UNI, TEL, TF, PAX affiliates
August 28, 2006 – September 3, 2006 : ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, WB, UPN, UNI, TEL, TF, AZA, PAX affiliates
September 4, 2006 – Present : ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, WB, UPN, UNI, TEL, TF, AZA, PAX, MNT affiliates
Independent:
1984-90: Commercial independent stations including FOX affiliates and TBS
1991-99: Commericial independent stations including WB, UPN affiiliates and superstations except forTBS.
1999-present: Commercial independent stations including Telemundo and Univision affiliates. Excludes TBS

Public: PBS affiliates
Ad Supported/Basic Cable:
1999-present: Viewing to advertiser supported cable networks. Includes TBS and WGN cable.
1984-99: Tuning to basic cable including Pay-Per-View
1991-1999: Tuning to basic cable including TBS and Pay-Per-View.

Premium/Pay Cable:
1999-present: Viewing to premium pay cable services.
1984-99: Cable Subscribers receiving at least one premium channel. This does not include Pay-Per-View.
All Other Cable:
1999-present: tuning to cable networks that are neither ad-supported nor premium pay, includes pay-per-view, interactive channels, home shopping channels, and audio only feeds.
*Effective 1991, FOX and TBS changed from Independents to Network Affiliates and Basic Cable Respectively.
**Combination of Live data and Live+7 data.
***Live+7 data
All years prior to 2005-6 are Live Data.

]]> By: Doghouse Reilly http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/09/19/broadcast-prime-time-for-2008-9-look-out-below/5182#comment-23573 Doghouse Reilly Sun, 21 Sep 2008 23:54:06 +0000 http://tvbythenumbers.com/?p=5182#comment-23573 Very nice chart. One question, and this is something that has frustrated me for a very long time, just how many ad-supported/basic cable channels are included in that huge swath of cable that has steadily grown over the past two decades? Just how many cable channels does it take to equal the twelve broadcast networks (realistically, TF, AZA, PAX and MNT add next to nothing to the total). Whenever the cable industry crows about how much it is beating broadcast, I wonder what the rest of the story is. Anyway, as much as I would personally like to see broadcast regain some ground this season, I have to agree that it is highly unlikely that the networks will see an increase in their average share of the audience. Very nice chart.

One question, and this is something that has frustrated me for a very long time, just how many ad-supported/basic cable channels are included in that huge swath of cable that has steadily grown over the past two decades? Just how many cable channels does it take to equal the twelve broadcast networks (realistically, TF, AZA, PAX and MNT add next to nothing to the total). Whenever the cable industry crows about how much it is beating broadcast, I wonder what the rest of the story is.

Anyway, as much as I would personally like to see broadcast regain some ground this season, I have to agree that it is highly unlikely that the networks will see an increase in their average share of the audience.

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