Radio & Television
Nielsen Schmielsen:  It's Sweeps Month

Twice a year -- November & February -- the networks go all out to boost ratings in what's come to be known as 'Sweeps Month'.  During the Sweeps, you're more likely to see programming that'll grab your attention:  big box office hits {like The Truman Show} or very special specials {like Fox's recent broadcast of Barabara Streisand's "last" TV show ever}.  

But Sweeps month is more than just a draw for ratings.  What's behind it all is the advertising dollars -- $45 billion of them in 1999 -- that sponsors will pump into the networks over the coming months.  ...  The growing use of and advertising on the Internet notwithstanding, TV remains the most lucrative ad market out there.

So, how do 'they' know who's watching what?  Simple.  ...

For decades, Nielsen {officially known as Nielsen Media Research} has been attaching gear to the home TV's of households all over the country and, thereby, following the viewing habits of America's viewers.

Of course, I've never had a Nielsen box hooked up to my set.  In fact, I don't think I ever met anyone who has.  But that's beside the point, really, because, with the right statistical sampling of a very limited portion of the population -- usually about 5,000 of the 99.4 million TV households in America, or roughly 0.005% -- Nielsen ratings can supposedly predict the viewing habits of every household in America with about 95% accuracy -- more than accurate enough to pry those ad dollars from the obviously not-too-tight fists of America's corporations.  ...

More recently, Nielsen has also been tracking the habits of net users.  Although they may not be the most definitive source for that info, and though the study was done in '99 and habits may have changed somewhat, we can still learn a few things.

What can we learn from Nielsen?  ...

Well, some pretty interesting findings if you're curious about America's penchant for the tube, and our growing interest in the Internet.

Here's just a sample -- from a 1999 Nielsen Media Research report entitled ...

TV Viewing in Internet Households

• Virtually all U.S. households have at least one TV set, and three out of every four have multiple sets.

• In the average household, the TV set is on more than 7 ½ hours a day, every day of the week, every week of the year ...

• By 1998, the average TV home was able to receive 57 channels.

• While not the same channels for every viewer, the number of channels actually viewed by a single household has not grown beyond 13.

• Individuals view anywhere from 3 hours a day (teens 12-17) to almost five hours a day (Women 18+).

• Women 55+ spend the most time watching daytime television.

• Sunday is the most viewed night of the week.

• Cable/satellite TV is available to 75% of households.

• People who subscribe to premium services (e.g. cable, satellite, etc.) spend more time watching television than any other category of viewers - over 15 hours a week more than homes without premium services.

• Over 100 Million people have access to the Internet from home.

• Approximately 60 million use the Internet at least once a month (active users). 

• Active users get on the Internet every other day for approximately 30 minutes per session. 

• Average monthly usage for active users is about seven and a half hours.

• Active users tend to log on every other day (16 sessions a month).

• Active users tend to visit about 12 unique sites {similar to the 13 TV channels viewed in a household} and view over 300 pages of content per month.

• Per session, active users tend to view about 20 pages.

• Over half the people log on to the Internet during the hours of 5PM and 10PM from home.

• Teenagers (12-17) are more likely to be on the Internet during the hours of 3PM-5PM.  People 55+, incidentally, are also more likely to be surfing the Internet during the same hours.

• The 25-54 group tends to go online between 8PM-10PM.

• Despite thousands of sites available, 90% of the online audience visits at least one of the top 10 sites in a given month.

• Total day-time viewing in Internet homes is about 10-15% lower than non-Internet homes.  However, in prime time, viewing levels are fairly comparable.

What are Internet households watching?

• Among the prime demographic population -- men and women ages 18-49 -- CNBC ranked No. 1 among cable shows for viewers with Internet access.  MSNBC was 2nd.

• The top dozen syndicated shows for women 18-49?  ... TV.Com, Access Hollywood (AT), Live with Regis & Kathie Lee, Rosie O'Donnell Show, Save Our Streets, G.Michael Sports-Machine, Wheel Of Fortune {Weekend}, Entertainment Tonight, Roseanne Show, Tribune Prime News, MMN Home Team Baseball, and Siskel And Ebert.

• The top dozen syndicated shows for men 18-49?  ... Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,  TV.Com, Click, Earth: Final Conflict, Access Hollywood (AT), Quick Witz, America Outdoors, Entertainment Tonight, Howard Stern Radio Show, S.O.F.: Special Ops Force, Hollywood Squares, Friends-Syn (AT).

Th-th-th-th-th-th-th-th ... That's all, folks.  ...

..

*******       *******

If you would like to submit something for our Radio & television feature, or if you simply would like to suggest something you think we ought to cover, e-mail us at ... radiofilmtv@downstreetmagazine.com.

*******       *******

If you would like to advertise in this section, or throughout the magazine, please visit our Advertising Info Pages ... or call, write, or e-mail ads@downstreetmagazine.com.

*******       *******

   Phone                                (802) 453-5124
    Fax                                    (978) 428-6335
   ... or e-mail
   Advertising:                              ads@downstreetmagazine.com
   Articles & submissions:        submissions@downstreetmagazine.com
   Subscriptions:                          subscribe@downstreetmagazine.com
   ...    

All material copyrighted © 2000-2001.  All rights reserved.
Citations should follow standard conventions.
Please contact us for reprint permissions.
DownStreet Magazine is a registered trademark of Fern Hill Services.
Lou Colasanti, Editor & Laura Wisniewski, Associate Editor
.                                                                                                 .