Television ratings - the pooooower!

[Miriel]

Ok, so I recently found out that a family I'm acquainted with has been a Nielsen family for the past few years. They never told anyone. Serious. Not until their term was up did they let people know.

Their daily television watching activities accounted for literally hundreds of people in terms of calculating ratings for shows.

Anyway, would you ever want to be a Nielsen family? Would you tell people about your status and accept bribes? Would you use your powers to keep crap shows like 'Til Death on the air just to piss people off? Would you obsessively watch shows like Pushing Daisies in order to make sure it stays on the air?

Does it piss you off that you as an individual viewer count for NOTHING in terms of ratings if you're a non-Nielson family viewer?

I want to have that kind of power. :(

[Namelessfengir]

no because then the ratings would shift to porn at all hours of the day

[edczxcvbnm]

I wouldn't mind being one of those families :D I don't watch much prime time TV at all. I watch Prison Break and that is about it. I do watch TV but not that much at all. I tend to watch re-runs of sitcoms and stuff later on at night sometimes or when I get home from work.

[Shlup]

Me? Abuse power?

Nah.

[escobert]

They would hate me since I only watch cartoon network, ESPN, comedy central, thhe History Channel and the Discovery Channel. Maybe a little TLC in there.

[Germ Hamee]

I would prefer that the entire system was abolished, since it makes absolutely no sense. You'd think that with technology being where it is now, cable companies at least would be able to provide this kind of information - and in every household. Or you would think that watching an episode streaming from the network's website would count for something.

But since everything in the world is ran as retardedly as possible, I say yes. Gimme that damn box. Then give me a list of every Nielsen family that's watching stupid TV so I can break their boxes and rip up their diaries. :D