Taking a look at ratings...
The controversy over sticking to the old, tried and true diary system used by Arbitron for years or switching to their PPM's or Portable People Meters is pretty much over. By 2010 Arbitron expects the country's top 50 markets will be measured by the small, cell-phone sized device which will be carried by the people being sampled. The device collects exposure to electronic media sources at the moment the person is listening or watching. The electronic methodology is new but the old C.E. Hooper methodology is essentially the same in that you're getting information on what a person is viewing or watching co-incidentally, at that given moment not based on what they wrote in a diary for a record of what they listened to during the day or week...
While I was at Hooper I was fortunate enough to have experienced not only the methodology at work but the results as well. When the company was Starch-Inra-Hooper, Inc. in the 70's we measured more than radio, we measured mind-sets on the print side of research. Why was a person attracted to a certain ad or what made them buy the product? Was it the placement of the ad, the colors used, the slogan, knowing the brand? What was it? Our print research was much more lucrative for the company than radio...
For radio measurement we used at-random phone calls to find out exactly what the person was listening to at that moment, the ideal way to measure radio or television. What they're listening to or watching at that moment, not the phone part. We started running into problems with unlisted phone numbers but managed to get around that but surely would have had problems when the usage of cell phones mushroomed. Arbitron, which is using Nielsen Homescan technology can't help but be successful with PPM's...
On the subject of ratings, the Super Bowl cast a long shadow over CBS-TV. The SB itself (93 million viewers) was the 3rd most-watched TV program ever, behind the 1996 Pittsburgh Steelers-Dallas Cowboys SB and the 1993 series finale of "M*A*S*H." "Criminal Minds" was seen by a whopping 26.2 million people and even "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson" had more than 5 million viewers, the most ever since that show started 12-years ago (minus Craig Ferguson who's only been there a couple of years)...
The results of that TBS-Boston hoax are in my Commentary...And today's video link can be found in the "Good Night and Good Luck" timeline...
Timeline Memories...
"Happy Trails": 1960] 27-year old singer Jesse Belvin, his wife and driver were all killed in an automobile accident in Los Angeles (Jesse's wife didn't die at the scene but did several days later)...1993] Tennis Hall of Famer and human rights advocate Arthur Ashe dies of complications of AIDS (contracted during a blood transfusion) at 49...1998] 51-year old Carl Wilson one of the founding members of the Beach Boys dies from complications of lung cancer with his family at his side...
"Say Uncle": 1869] Harper's Weekly publishes the 1st picture of Uncle Sam with chin whiskers...
"Movin' on Up": 1933] The 20th amendment goes into effect making the president, vice president and congressional terms to begin in January instead of March as was the custom...
"Pass Go - Collect $200": 1935] The board game of "Monopoly" goes on sale for the 1st time...
"Checking" in: 1939] Vernon Presley (Elvis' daddy) is released from prison after serving 8 months for "altering" a check...
"Where's Snooky?": 1943] Frank Sinatra debuts as a vocalist on radio's "Your Hit Parade"...
"Good Night and Good Luck": 1959] Fidel Castro is interviewed by Edward R. Murrow on "Person-To-Person" and that clip is our video link which looks like it came straight out of "Saturday Night Live": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMSmMA5gnNA ...
#1 on this date: 1977] "Torn between Two Lovers" - Mary MacGregor...1987] "Open Your Heart" - Madonna...
Have a cigar Muriel: 1978] Muriel Humphrey, wife of the late Hubert Humphrey takes his office as Democratic Senator in Minnesota...
"Vote For Me": 1987] Sonny Bono declares his candidacy for mayor of Palm Springs (and will be elected)...2000] First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton launches her successful candidacy for the U.S. Senate from New York...
"Bed-in": 2003] ABC-TV's "20/20" airs a British documentary on Michael Jackson in which the singer reveals he sometimes lets children sleep in his bed (will someone arrest this man please)...
Soooooper: 2005] The New England Patriots win their 2nd consecutive Super Bowl and 3rd in 4 years with a 24-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...
"Happy Trails":
Barbara McNair was 72 when she died after a battle with throat cancer on Sunday. McNair was a singer-actress who hosted her own TV show ("The Barbara McNair Show") from 1969 to 1972. She also starred on Broadway in the musical "No Strings" and her biggest movie was "They Call Me Mister Tibbs" when she played the wife of Sidney Poitier. She was also in "Change of Habit" with Elvis Presley...Tige Andrews who played Capt. Adam Greer on "The Mod Squad" died last week at 86 from cardiac arrest and 20-game winner, Oriole pitcher Steve Barber died from pneumonia Sunday at 67. He pitched a no-hitter for 8 2/3 innings, was relieved by Stu Miller who also didn't give up a hit but Baltimore lost the game to the Tigers on an error. Barber had a 121-106 career record...
Commentary...
On the heels of that TBS hoax in Boston last week, the network agreed to pay local governments and agencies $2 million for shutting Boston down last week. A small price to pay for shutting down a major city and putting a bomb scare into the population. The two men responsible for the bizarre episode face felony hoax charges which are punishable by up to 5 years in prison. This is yet another slap on the wrist when more was called for in the way of punishment. It also makes a laughing stock out of the Boston authorities who fell for the hoax while no other city did. The stunt of leaving light boards to promote the TBS "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" show has not been successful as viewership was down 100,000 on the first episode to air after the incident and has since rebounded to its average rating...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Axl Rose (Guns N' Roses) (45), Natalie Cole (57), Fabian Forte (64), Tom Brokaw (67), Mike Farrell (68), Mamie Van Doren (76), Rip Torn (76), Patrick (Mr. Steed) Macnee (85) and Zsa Zsa Gabor (90)...
Timeline Countdown: 9 days until 'pitchers and catchers' and 43 days until spring...
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