How do TV shows know how many viewers they have?
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Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 702
From: Green Bay, WI
How do TV shows know how many viewers they have?
I was just thinking about how TV shows know how many people are viewing their program so they can rate it and what not... I'm sure it's simple but just wondering.
BF Veteran
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 3,545
From: Tacoma-ish
Well, 
told me:
Computers.
Direct tv, comcast and your local cable company, run their entire operation through computers. one, to control paying customers and non-paying customers. two, computers keep tabs on what channel and what programs you are watching. this is money for the cable companies.
Television stations pay money to the cable companies for this information. television stations base their commerical fees on this information. this is a win win situation for the cable companies. this is also how a television station can declare that they are number one in news, weather, etc.
also, since this is a Blazer Forum, you might want to throw a bowtie on the old direct tv dish,,,,
told me:Computers.
Direct tv, comcast and your local cable company, run their entire operation through computers. one, to control paying customers and non-paying customers. two, computers keep tabs on what channel and what programs you are watching. this is money for the cable companies.
Television stations pay money to the cable companies for this information. television stations base their commerical fees on this information. this is a win win situation for the cable companies. this is also how a television station can declare that they are number one in news, weather, etc.
also, since this is a Blazer Forum, you might want to throw a bowtie on the old direct tv dish,,,,
Starting Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 194
From: WI/IL border
I have always wondered that, but have been to lazy to search and find out why.. hahhaha
when they say #1 show i always ramble off some lude comments and change the channel, unless its something actually worth watching haha
when they say #1 show i always ramble off some lude comments and change the channel, unless its something actually worth watching haha
Banned
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 145
In the old days, they had to get statisticians to go out and get a representative sample (say 1000 Neilsen houses in the suburbs, 1000 in the cities, 1000 in the country etc.), then you calculate the average, standard deviation and variance, then I think you use a Z-test to project the numbers out to the whole public. That gives you a range (i.e. you say I want to be 95% accurate, so the Z-test returns: Between 5 and 10 people are watching Al Gore's speech [just a joke!] or if you want to be 99% accurate then it would be a wider range, say between 1 and 15.
) And because all data is eventually empirical, it's a pretty darn good chance that the exact answer is smack dab in the middle of that range.
Source:
I got a B in the highest level of Statistics my HS offered, so at least 80% of that should be correct -- Or your money back
Regards,
Thomas
) And because all data is eventually empirical, it's a pretty darn good chance that the exact answer is smack dab in the middle of that range.Source:
I got a B in the highest level of Statistics my HS offered, so at least 80% of that should be correct -- Or your money back
Regards,
Thomas
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 271
From: Western New York
In the old days, they had to get statisticians to go out and get a representative sample (say 1000 Neilsen houses in the suburbs, 1000 in the cities, 1000 in the country etc.), then you calculate the average, standard deviation and variance, then I think you use a Z-test to project the numbers out to the whole public. That gives you a range (i.e. you say I want to be 95% accurate, so the Z-test returns: Between 5 and 10 people are watching Al Gore's speech [just a joke!] or if you want to be 99% accurate then it would be a wider range, say between 1 and 15.) And because all data is eventually empirical, it's a pretty darn good chance that the exact answer is smack dab in the middle of that range.
Source:
I got a B in the highest level of Statistics my HS offered, so at least 80% of that should be correct -- Or your money back
Regards,
Thomas
) And because all data is eventually empirical, it's a pretty darn good chance that the exact answer is smack dab in the middle of that range.Source:
I got a B in the highest level of Statistics my HS offered, so at least 80% of that should be correct -- Or your money back
Regards,
Thomas