Lamest sweeps ever

What a circus. Broadcasters, scared that the February deadline for the digital transition might impact their ratings, convinced Nielsen to push its sweeps measurement period to March. Then broadcasters convinced the government to push the digital transition deadline to summer. It was like a teenager asking two different dates to the prom, then solving the conflict by canceling on both of them.

Making matters sillier, last month a third of stations decided to flip the switch to digital anyway. Giving a 5.1-surround-sound battle cry, they bravely led the charge over the hill ... only to discover the switch did not seem to impact their ratings after all (though most of the major markets have yet to make the jump).

So sweeps arrived -- in March, and now for no apparent reason -- and broadcasts were left stood up. It’s a ratings sweep period and there’s no previous March sweeps to compare the data to. Even ranking the month to last year is dicey given since there was a writers strike. Broadcasters are sending out hesitant e-mails like this one: "Are you writing anything about the sweep? I planned on sending out ratings highlights even though it seems pretty pointless and irrelevant.“

Yes! I am eager to write pointless and irrelevant news. Sign me up.

So for those who interested from a purely month-of-ratings standpoint, below are the standings. Note that the period was punctuated by exciting big-ticket events such as "Reaper" returning to the CW and NBC airing a repeat of "The Office" instead of "Kath & Kim."

With 26 of the 28 sweep days tallied and seven-day DVR data for the first 10 days of the sweep, Fox has a 3.9 rating (on par with the same period last year) in the adults 18-49 demographic, with CBS at 3.2 (up 14%), ABC at 2.7 (unchanged), NBC at 2.2 (down 4%), the CW at 0.8 (down 20%, though that should shrink somewhat as additional data becomes available given the CW's heavy DVR gains) and MyNet at 0.6 (up 20%).

Comments

[nyguyguy]

All I care about is that the deadline was extended and money was allocated by our new government for digital transfer boxes. Now I don't have to worry in June that some elderly shut-in now has no access to the outside world. Screw sweeps, let's take the time and look out for our vulnerable neighbors. I'm so glad that for once, wiser heads prevailed, may it only continue.

[lmao]

Okay, it was completely unnessary to postpone the digital transition to the summer. Everyone who has analog tv but didn't buy a converter box DOESN'T WATCH TV AT ALL. I know people that don't care about tv and actually got rid of their tv sets.

Everyone, including the old people, has already hurried to buy a converter box before February so this was all overall a plain stupid mistake.

The elderly aren't that INEPT to not know what is going on with the digital switchover. Most have already gotten converters thanks to their families or themselves. The only ones that haven't should think about living in a nursing home.

[Joel Feltman]

Once again, the Broadcast nets are in the midst of a full freak-out over another "emerging" technology…digital transition. As most of us who are associated with the "entertainment" industry know, the business has been historically slow to adapt to new technologies and associated marketplaces…they have needed to be dragged kicking and screaming into the future. So what's the big deal? I say embrace all new technology, stop worrying about how it is going to negatively impact your short term revenues and look to the promises of new revenue streams as the new markets emerge and mature. For now, get your content out there on as many new platforms as possible, making it easy for consumers to "consume them." The revenues will certainly follow. That means you NBC/U and News Corp!
End the Boxee and Hulu impasse! Get your content in front of as many eyeballs as possible, as easily as possible. Believe that revenue will come!

[nyguyguy]

Imao, your compassion is overwhelming (april fools).

Just because you don't know anyone who didn't need a converter box doesn't mean squat. If you spent a moment googling you would know there was a large backlog for the coupons and the pittance the last administration alloted quickly ran out. Now the pipeline of coupons and converter boxes is flowing and the extended time will ensure that the transition is seamless, and not just for you and your limited circle. That is how it should be done (and wasn't).

[Sam]

Our economy is in the tank and jobs are pathetic, so how about another Garry Marshall flick like Pretty Woman and Runaway Bride? It is time anyway - been 10 years and we need to feel good and get away from it all. Can anybody find a property that can give us some warm, happy feelings??