38 replies to this topic

[Pepperkorn]

no only insane but also crazy. . . . . greed greed greed, ruining this country on every level

We control the cable TV greed. WE created the demand -- we agreed to shell out insane amounts. Seriously this is the one resources along with LeBron sneakers and sh!t like that that we have only OURSELVES to blame Cable used to be a commercial free zone because you paid for it. Well WE kept paying when they allowed advertisers. It's all on you dude... unless you don't have cable and haven't since the mid-80s.

I am very anti-corporate greed as most of you know - I have posted many a diatribe on cable TV.

[DevsMan84]

While I still find NBC's decision to be pretty silly, I can kinda see how it would affect ratings. These things average about 1.0-2.0 if I understand correctly and for 3rd and 4th round playoff series that is still pretty low compared to NBA or MLB. I can kinda see how 2,000-3,000 fans at a viewing party might put at least a small dent in that. If they averaged like 8.0-10.0, then I doubt NBC would care.

[Pepperkorn]

I hate to say it but I bet they're just praying it makes a difference. I have a feeling NHL is going to get raped on the next contract. In ways this is just to take steam out of the Leagues answers for sh!tty ratings... I can hear Bettman's lackies now "Err...no viewers? Uhhh.... they were all at the viewing parties -- yeah!"

[gata]

Ok, so shut down pubs and sports bars too. A$$holes .

[ThreeCups]

While I still find NBC's decision to be pretty silly, I can kinda see how it would affect ratings. These things average about 1.0-2.0 if I understand correctly and for 3rd and 4th round playoff series that is still pretty low compared to NBA or MLB. I can kinda see how 2,000-3,000 fans at a viewing party might put at least a small dent in that. If they averaged like 8.0-10.0, then I doubt NBC would care.

DevsMan84...you are sadly mistaken.

The viewing party would not cause any sort of blip in the ratings WHATSOEVER. Do you know how ratings are calculated?

[LaCava83]

Ok, so shut down pubs and sports bars too. A$holes .  

The league and all the teams have revenue sharing......
The TV contracts contribute to this....
The League and the teams are business partners  [ Sad ] and understand that they shouldn't be working against the potential for more $ windfall. Its sh!tty no doubt about it but its business to them all.

That being said they cannot stop private venues from doing anything.... Nor will they try....

[DevsMan84]

DevsMan84...you are sadly mistaken.

The viewing party would not cause any sort of blip in the ratings WHATSOEVER. Do you know how ratings are calculated?

Yes, I know how they send out those little boxes to select random families and they are not allowed to tell people they have it and yada yada. My family got selected for it once and I did the Arbitron ratings too (back in the day when you had to write in a journal and not the little electric pager-sized boxes they have you wear). They also do estimations and the such.

But still with the ratings for playoff hockey generally much lower than the other sports I can at least understand why NBC is thinking this way even if it is pretty silly.

[Pepperkorn]

Yes, I know how they send out those little boxes to select random families and they are not allowed to tell people they have it and yada yada. My family got selected for it once and I did the Arbitron ratings too (back in the day when you had to write in a journal and not the little electric pager-sized boxes they have you wear). They also do estimations and the such.

But still with the ratings for playoff hockey generally much lower than the other sports I can at least understand why NBC is thinking this way even if it is pretty silly.

My parents were selected too -- I tried to get my dad to lie and say he was watching hockey...


ANYHOW --
So if it's not about ratings NBC is just being randomly a$$holian? Really? Because that's in their best interest? For whatever reason sponsors think viewing parties hurt them and have told NBS so... It's a conspiracy against all hockey fans.

This is a stupid thread. No one is going to be "right" and everyone will be an a$$hole eager to call someone else in their same boat stupid.

[DevsMan84]

My parents were selected too -- I tried to get my dad to lie and say he was watching hockey...


ANYHOW --
So if it's not about ratings NBC is just being randomly a$$holian? Really? Because that's in their best interest? For whatever reason sponsors think viewing parties hurt them and have told NBS so... It's a conspiracy against all hockey fans.

This is a stupid thread. No one is going to be "right" and everyone will be an a$$hole eager to call someone else in their same boat stupid.

I wouldn't put that outside the realm of possibilities.

[StarDew]

EVERYONE MEET AT JOE Bs!

and I'm not allowed to talk... unless it's direct cake decoration or point out Scott Stevens cat-smells-somthing-bad hissy face...

LOL That was the best cake decoration! Your post took me out of lurk mode. Great times. LOL

[Matteau#32]

Yes, I know how they send out those little boxes to select random families and they are not allowed to tell people they have it and yada yada. My family got selected for it once and I did the Arbitron ratings too (back in the day when you had to write in a journal and not the little electric pager-sized boxes they have you wear). They also do estimations and the such.

But still with the ratings for playoff hockey generally much lower than the other sports I can at least understand why NBC is thinking this way even if it is pretty silly.

Wasn't that how it was done 30 years ago? Can't be still like that as Francesa gets ratings numbers the next day.

[DevsMan84]

Wasn't that how it was done 30 years ago? Can't be still like that as Francesa gets ratings numbers the next day.

I did the arbitron in the very late 90s. I would say 1999. The black pager unit wasn't used for another 2-3 years.

[Matteau#32]

I did the arbitron in the very late 90s. I would say 1999. The black pager unit wasn't used for another 2-3 years.

What is the black pager unit?

[DevsMan84]

What is the black pager unit?

For Arbitron, instead of the old style of writing in a journal when and what station you listened to, they now give you this little black box to wear on your belt that is the size of a pager. You literally just wear it and don't do anything else. Apparently, the box detects when you are in a certain range of a radio and can detect what station you are listening to and for how long. All you do after a week or 2 is just send the black box back in where Arbitron collects the data out of it.

[Matteau#32]

For Arbitron, instead of the old style of writing in a journal when and what station you listened to, they now give you this little black box to wear on your belt that is the size of a pager. You literally just wear it and don't do anything else. Apparently, the box detects when you are in a certain range of a radio and can detect what station you are listening to and for how long. All you do after a week or 2 is just send the black box back in where Arbitron collects the data out of it.

Really? Is this for television as well?

[DevsMan84]

Really? Is this for television as well?

Just for radio I think. I think television still uses the cable box device that they have used for a while now.

[Matteau#32]

Just for radio I think. I think television still uses the cable box device that they have used for a while now.

Is it that thing that you attach to your cable/satellite box and that transmit what is being watched to the company that compiles the ratings?

[DevsMan84]

Is it that thing that you attach to your cable/satellite box and that transmit what is being watched to the company that compiles the ratings?

Yup.

What was great about the radio device is that when it came out in 2002-2004, they discovered that a lot more people were listening to rock stations than originally thought. That's why in that time period you saw a slight resurgence in rock stations. Before with the journal, most of the people perticipating were younger people who listened to more of the top 100 stations while the older crowd listened to rock, but had no time to write in the journal consistently due to work, family, life, etc. They also found out more people listened to Spanish radio stations than originally thought too and that's why around that time period those stations took off as well.

[DJ Eco]

While Neilsen boxes are still distributed and used for a good chunk of data, there are other companies out there now that pull data off regular cable boxes involuntarily. I don't know which are more "official" or more prevalent but widespread all-encompassing ratings systems do exist now..