Chapter 10 Ratings and Audience Measurement

Schedule We’re not too behind, believe it or not. This is due to my amazing foresight and wisdom. Chapter 9 will not be on quiz or final Chapter 8 Quiz will be on 4/21 I’m expecting to become a father on May 12, but you still have to come to class. The tentative schedule is on the blog, but here it is…

Schedule 4/2 Chapter 10, Ratings. Presentations. 4/7 Chapter 10, Ratings. Presentations. 4/9 Break 4/21 Quiz Chapter 8. Start Chapter 11 Effects 4/23 Chapter 11 Effects 4/30 Quiz Chapter 11. Start Chapter 12. 5/5 Chapter 12 5/7 Network 5/12 Network 5/14 Final 5/21 Papers due by 12:00pm in mailbox. Late=F.

Final The final exam will be the same format except for the essays. There will be multiple guess. I may have a few short answers/identifies/definitions. Questions will be gleaned from the quizzes. No quiz for 12. There will be no choice of essay. You will have 1 question. Your answer should be substantial and developed. Three paragraphs minimum, maybe four (that’s a standard essay) I am giving you the question right now…

Final How does the portrayal of the broadcast industry in the film Network compare to what we learned from class lectures and the text? Is the film accurate in its portrayal? What trends did the film address? How does the film portray commercialism in the media?

Final This is not open book, but you have a month and a half to think about your answer. You must show off your knowledge. Don’t just give opinions. I’m not grading you on opinion or on common knowledge. The final is non-cumulative, but you can use anything we learned in class for the essay.

Two Major Ratings Firms Arbitron- Radio. Ended TV measurement in the 1990s. Neilsen- Mostly TV, but also new media and they announced plans to start measuring radio audience (left radio in the 1960s)

Audience Measurement Costly to constantly monitor –Sweeps all national markets four times a year –Larger markets have additional rating periods Ratings firms make money by selling information to broadcasters, cable TV companies etc… You can get general reports or the firm could get you tailor made reports

Markets Nielsen system to define markets is by using DMA –Designated Market Area Arbitron reports using: –Nielsen’s DMAs –Metro Areas (a city and surrounding areas) –TSA, Total Survey Area. Covers 98 of a market’s listening audience (more area than a DMA)

Rating and Share If you get nothing else from this chapter, know what the difference between rating and share Rating = estimate of households (TV) or people (radio) tuned to a specific channel expressed as a percentage of potential viewers/listeners Share= estimate of households (TV) or people (radio) tuned to a specific channel expressed as a percentage of people actually watching TV (HUT) or listening to radio (PUR) at a given time. So rating includes people that have their TVs turned off, and share is only people who are watching something

Rating and Share HUT= Households Using Television PUR= People Using Radio

Rating and Share Neilsen’s Stats: – f4d5649ee76b5f8202a a062a0/?vgnextoid=c74042a b VgnVCM a260aRCRD&vgnextrefresh =1http:// f4d5649ee76b5f8202a a062a0/?vgnextoid=c74042a b VgnVCM a260aRCRD&vgnextrefresh =1 Calculators – huts_puts.htmlhttp:// huts_puts.html More info – – tmhttp:// tm – thou/cost-per-thou.htmhttp:// thou/cost-per-thou.htm

Collecting Data Diaries: People keep diaries about what they watch/listen to. Problem? People aren’t accurate. –People get embarrassed about what they are watching (would you admit to watching A Shot At Love With Tila Tequila?) –People get bored and stop filling the diaries out –People don’t fill it out right away and then “catch up” by filling it out all at once.

Collecting Data Meters –Set Meters. Attached to a TV. Passive. No idea who, if anyone, is watching. Just that TV is on. Phased out of national surveys in late 1980s –People Meters (Neilsen). Each person “checks in” and “checks out” by pushing a button on the meter. This way you can get specific demographic info (age, gender, race). Can monitor DVR systems. –Portable People Meters (Arbitron). Detects encoded signal. –Passive People Meters- proposed. Uses image recognition or ID tags. Technology not there yet (sometimes it confuses a dog with a person, for example)

Collecting Data Telephone –You get a call and they ask you what you are listening to right now--“Coincidental” Interview –You get a call and they ask what you watched in the past- Telephone recall –Telephone recall is less accurate, but less expensive to do

PPM This really started to be used last year Is it accurate? Not on the “margins” Top stations with broad demographic appeal remained on top, for the most part. Stations near the bottom of the top ten changed dramatically. But, something else happened…

PPM This video is on the blog – –Handouts have detailed info (read them for tests).