I Hate Nielsen Ratings

Let's face it, television ratings are garbage.

If you're not familiar with how Nielsen ratings work, here's a summary: Small devices, "Set Meters" are attached to TVs in "selected homes." So basically, some people have little boxes that track what is being watched on one TV in their house.

Want to know how selective that "selective homes" really is? Fortunately for you, curious reader, wikipedia has some answers. As of 2009, of the 114,500,000 U.S. television households only 25,000 total American households participated in the Nielsen daily metered system. Need a percentage? 0.02183% 


Let's round off that percentage: 0.02% of American homes are actually being tracked for these ratings.


So procedural crimes dramas and laugh track filled comedies play great to the tiny smattering of people whose opinions matter for no reason other than luck, and I'm supposed to think that's reasonable? 


It's bullshit. I want to break into every house with a set meter and break those lying sacks of trash into tiny pieces, so that quality television won't live and die by the 0.02%


And by the way, if you have a goddamn set meter, watch Parks and Rec and Community, ok? And probably don't tell me about your set meter, or I'm going to sneak into your living room and steal it. 


-av, "No Cancellation Without Representation"

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