Keep or Not To Keep, TV Shows?

Helpful Links which point out The Nielsen Company, The show Free Agents, and the rating system.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/nbc-cancels-free-agents-243753

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nielsen_ratings

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_are_television_shows_rated

TV Stations use Nielsen Ratings to find out how a show is doing.  The number of viewers is a helpful tool in finding what rating each show receive.  The Nielsen Company creates surveys for people to fill out online and they have transmitters in DVR’s which record what the viewer watches and transmits the findings back to the company.  With this data they can find out how many people watch a certain show, and what they watch after, before, and during the commercial breaks.  This information also allows TV stations to include similar commercials with the shows people are watching.  An example of this rating system affecting shows is with the new show Free Agents.  This show aired about 6 or 7 episodes, but due to their low ratings and people tuning into the show; the show was canceled.

What do you think of the fact that The Nielsen Company have transmitters in your DVR’s to allow them to record and map the shows you watch?

Do you believe that people should have more control on whether a show should be kept or canceled, maybe talking to real people about their favorite shows, instead of finding what they watch through transmitters in their TV or DVR’s?

In response to Tim’s Blog: Limbaugh’s sponsors take their dollars elsewhere, and he rushes to apologize.

What responsibility do sponsors have when choosing programming?

I believe sponsors do have a lot of say when they choose their programing, but they do not have control on what the host of the programing says.  Rush Limbaugh is getting in trouble just like Don Imus did in the past.  Imus on the other hand attacked Limbaugh after Limbaugh made his apology, which Don Imus thought was not good enough. He stated that Limbaugh’s apology was a "lame apology" after his "vile, personal attack" on Georgetown University law student, Sandra Fluke.” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/05/don-imus-rush-limbaugh-sandra-fluke_n_1321016.html)

After the attack on Sandra Fluke most of Rush Limbaugh’s sponsors did leave him.  “Sensa Wight Loss program, Telecommunications Company Polcycom and AccuQuote life insurance are among a slew of new advertisers who requested Tuesday that their ads be removed from Limbaugh’s show. So did clothing company Bonobos, insurance company Geico and John Deere.” Limbaugh’s radio stations WBEC in Pittsfield, Mass. and KPUA in Hilo, Hawaii have both stated that they do recognize Limbaugh’s 1^st amendment right to state his opinions but they do not authorize the station to be used for personal attacks and intolerance.

What do you think about this issue?

Would you fire Rush Limbaugh like Don Imus was fired from his station when he broke the rules?

Link about this issue:

http://www.thewrap.com/media/column-post/rush-limbaughs-advertisers-flee-over-sandra-fluke-comments-35994