How do TV Networks Know How Many Viewers Watch Each Show?

[Murpheeee]

How do TV networks know how many viewers watch each show?

Where does the data come from?

 

[BDawg]

It's called sampling. By sampling a smaller, random unit of the population, you can infer numbers for a larger set of the population.

Example: You go to a field and catch 100 grasshoppers and mark them. The next day, you go back and catch another 100 grasshoppers. Of these, 10 have a mark. You can then estimate that the population in the area is 1000.

 

[BDawg]

The other answer to your question is Neilson Families. Some families have boxes attached to their TVs that report what they're watching to the Neilson group, a TV statistics company.

 

[clamum]

Originally posted by: BDawg
It's called sampling. By sampling a smaller, random unit of the population, you can infer numbers for a larger set of the population.

Example: You go to a field and catch 100 grasshoppers and mark them. The next day, you go back and catch another 100 grasshoppers. Of these, 10 have a mark. You can then estimate that the population in the area is 1000.

Ahhh...brings back memories of AP Statistics class. Sad to say I had the class 1 year ago and if you gave me a statistics problem I probably wouldn't know what to do. Oh well.

 

[BDawg]

Originally posted by: americangigolo

Originally posted by: BDawg
It's called sampling. By sampling a smaller, random unit of the population, you can infer numbers for a larger set of the population.

Example: You go to a field and catch 100 grasshoppers and mark them. The next day, you go back and catch another 100 grasshoppers. Of these, 10 have a mark. You can then estimate that the population in the area is 1000.

Ahhh...brings back memories of AP Statistics class. Sad to say I had the class 1 year ago and if you gave me a statistics problem I probably wouldn't know what to do. Oh well.

I actually performed the grasshopper test in a field.

 

[rudder]

Thats why shows like "the dukes of hazzard" stayed on the air for so long.

 

[royaldank]

When you hear Sweeps week, that is usually referring to non-Neilson households doing rating for Neilson. They are temp members and receive a book to write down what they watch for the week or two. This usually goes for a week or two. When networks show their big shows and extended Friends, there are a bunch of people that just got their Neilson book for the week. I've done this a couple times. And, if you are a sweeps member, you get a $1 or $2 for a week of writting down what you watch. I don't think I'll do it again.

 

[MeanMeosh]

they sample using neilsen houses with black boxes, i think...

random trivia: sampling is much more accurate than counting all the responses from all the households across the nation, because the probability of error is higher with individual counting.

 

[BDawg]

Originally posted by: MeanMeosh
they sample using neilsen houses with black boxes, i think...

random trivia: sampling is much more accurate than counting all the responses from all the households across the nation, because the probability of error is higher with individual counting.

Yep, that's true. It's also why some people want to make the census sampled. IIRC, people who are afraid of a more accurate minority representation are against it.