On the surface the Nielsen drop of 2.5 million viewers would indicate that TV viewing is going down the tubes with radio but is that the whole picture? More than 2.5 million fewer people are watching FREE-TV (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) but unlike radio, viewers have found other ways of seeing their favorite shows after they air...
It's highly unlikely that radio listeners are downloading Rush, Opie & Anthony or whoever for later listening but TV viewers are a different animal. Much like listeners are making their own radio stations with their favorite music, so too are TV viewers. This year for the first time, Nielsen is measuring viewership in the estimated 17% of homes with digital video recorders but, and this is a big BUT - those shows watched after the fact only count if they're watched within 24 hours of the original air time. And you're not counted by Nielsen under any circumstances if you downloaded a show on iTunes and watched it on your iPod or cell phone or streamed an episode from a network website. WOW!!!
What this shows is how fast technology is changing. It's changing so fast that Nielsen and Arbitron haven't caught up to it yet in terms of an accurate measurement count. There are so many questions yet to be answered regarding audience measurement and millions of dollars in advertising lay in the balance. Oh did I mention that viewers who watch on demand are not counted either???
Item #2] Okay so Imus is gone and radio has been cleaned up - right? Read my Commentary...
Timeline Memories...
- 1872] I am woman hear me roar: Victoria Woodhull becomes the 1st woman nominated for the U.S. presidency (sorry Hillary)...
- 1908] Put them all together they spell Mother: The 1st Mother's Day observance takes place during church services in Grafton (WV) and Philadelphia...
- 1924] Chief Cheech: J. Edgar Hoover is appointed head of the FBI, a job he will hold until his death in 1972...
- 1927] In Stereo?: The Hotel Statler in Boston becomes the 1st hotel to install headsets in each of its 1,300 rooms. And what exactly did they listen to, Morse Code???
- 1965] Yaz and the Mick: The Red Sox beat the Yankees 3-2. All the runs are supplied by Carl Yastrzemski and Mickey Mantle...
- 1969] Wedding Bells: The merger of the AFL and NFL becomes official with Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Baltimore agreeing to move to the AFL. The AFC and NFC are formed with two-13 team conferences...1986] Tommy Lee and Heather Locklear rock down the aisle. They will divorce in 1993...
- 1970] He flies through the air with the greatest of ease: 1970] In one of the greatest sports photos of all-time, Boston Bruin Superstar Bobby Orr flies through the air after taking a pass from Derek Sanderson and putting the puck in the St. Louis net for the winning OT goal that produces an NHL championship for the home team...
- 1973] NBA Champs: Led by Willis Reed's 18 points and 12 rebounds, the Knicks win their 2nd and final NBA championship in decisive Game 5 against the Lakers...1974] Led by the great Dr. J a.k.a. Julius Erving, the Nets win the 1st of their 2 NBA titles by defeating Utah. Erving puts up 20 points and grabs 16 boards...
- 1982] Musicradio is no more: At exactly 12 noon Musicradio 77 becomes Talkradio 77. After Dan Ingram joined Ron Lundy for the final Musicradio show, the WABC chime was used for the last time at 11:59:55 a.m. WABC switched to top 40 in December of 1960 and for 22 years dominated ratings in New York. This was the final jock lineup on this date in 1982: 5-9 a.m. Ross and Wilson, 9-11:59:55 a.m. Ron Lundy and Dan Ingram. Jay Clark was Operations Manager...
- 1997] Happy Trails: The state of Illinois executes convicted serial killer John Wayne Gacy, 52, for the murders of 33 young men and boys...
Music Memories:
- 1954] "Rock Around The Clock" is released as a single commercially (promo copies went out May 6). The 1st time around Bill Haley & the Comets do not have a hit, charting only for 1 week. One year later after "Blackboard Jungle" premieres, the song will top the charts in July of 1955...
- 1964] Dusty Springfield makes her U.S. television debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show" - this video clip is from a European TV show circa 1964: http://youtube.com/watch?v=MczZzJ-jy5c ...
- 1969] The Turtles perform at the White House and Mark Volman celebrates by falling off the stage 4 times. Reportedly they then proceeded to smoke weed in the Lincoln bedroom...
- 1974] Eric Clapton records "I Shot The Sheriff" which will top the charts - looking like a pale version of the song's author, Bob Marley, here's a video clip of Eric: http://youtube.com/watch?v=10qLYy6hiFQ ...
- 1985] The Go-Go's announce their breakup - here's one of their two top 10 hits: http://youtube.com/watch?v=XtDhfFYiEG0 ...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...
Commentary...
So crude remarks have ended on radio now that Imus is gone, right? Wrong! Earlier in the week the New York Times reported monitoring nearly 250 hours of shock-talk from a dozen shows. The results show that Gay men and lesbians, women and Muslims, among others, were frequent targets of ridicule and coarse and sexually explicit banter, particularly descriptions of anal and oral sex, proliferated and meanness appeared to be a job prerequisite". Well I am just shocked at those findings!!!
Congratulations to Doug Flutie for heading the 2007 College Football Hall of Fame class. No one will ever forget that 'Hail Mary' pass to Gerard Phelan in 1984 when BC upset defending national champ Miami...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Bono a.k.a. Paul Hewson (47), Chris "Boomer" Berman (52), Donovan Leitch (61) Dave Mason (62), CT basketball coach Jim Calhoun (65), Gary Owens (71) and Pat Summerall (77)...
Timeline Countdown: 18 days until Memorial Day......
