Lately, when cable networks are sending out press releases about the ratings for their primetime shows, they are touting the "combined viewers" or "combined ratings" versus just the original airing. For example, the season premiere of BREAKING BAD was promoted as having a total audience of 3.1 million viewers, with repeat airings at 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. factored in.It would be nice if ABC did this with their daytime soaps. The shows repeat on SOAPnet in primetime as well as overnight. Instead of weekly releases about the daytime soaps and separate quarterly releases from SOAPnet, a weekly combined viewer total audience number would be nice. Unlike DAYS OF OUR LIVES or THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, which air on SOAPnet but on non-ABC networks in the daytime, Disney/ABC own their soaps so it seems like the best message to put out would be total audience number. Saying GENERAL HOSPITAL has 3.5 to 4 million viewers would sound a lot better than 2.8 million. What do you think?
That is a good idea. It would certainly make One Life to Live's ratings look better, since they are #1 on Soapnet. Also, I wish DVR viewership would be taken into consideration. We soap fans can't all be home in the afternoons.
ReplyDeleteStarting next year Nelsen is coming into the 21st. century start counting online viewing the bad thing about that is there has to be an equal amount of commercials. That's the way people are watching TV now a days and daytime TV, and DVR, TIVO. Prime time shows have more ratings like Chuck is DVR'd show, which is on a heavy competition night. Advertisers don't like DVR and TVIO can zoom threw the commercials, won't be able to online. But VCR's have been around since the early '80's but they once bitched about them. F the advertisers.
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