Medieval current TV Rating system

Television, Movies Games and Books Non Science Fiction
#1

Yesterday I found this article and it pretty much sums up my feeling of how the Television industry is missing out on how people want to get their favorite shows with the current technologies and that country borders shouldn’t be seen as obstacles to get TV series to new or already established fanbases.

Where has TV gone wrong?

"Hey,

I have been soaking in the disappointing results that were the Friday Ratings for my current TV Craze ‘Fringe’ as well as other shows such as ‘Supernatural’ & ‘CSI:NY’ and I have to say that the TV industry in America, as much as I love some of its products is a very messed up place.

The networks want us to watch and love their shows but as someone who has gotten much more into TV I find a trepidation in starting anything new until I know I’m getting my time rewarded in watching. Herein lies the problem; if enough people think like me then every show is in danger. And people are beginning and will eventually follow this trend.

Why is it that often the shows which have casual fans tend to score large, these viewers tend to include the people oblivious to the world of TV ratings, leaving the people who actually care about TV in a world where you hate the foundations of the industry you love.
I would much rather, as a fan of Fringe, be enjoying debating about the [spoiler]Pregnancy[/spoiler] storyline with other fans or haters without thinking that the show could be killed by falling ratings.

There is a simple truth in the matter, we only need to use a brain cell to see it. There are shows, Fringe, Supernatural currently, or Heroes & Flashforward from last year that have and have had a lot of fans. It’s a fact. So why do we rely on a teeny percentage of people within America who have a Nielson box to keep the shows we love on the air.

It is about time that TV Networks realised something. TV is global and that they need to find a way to show original programming to the world. TV is no longer about one country, especially not US TV, when I watch something I then talk about it with people from all over the world, communicate with people from all over the world and read about it from articles written all over the world.

I know that if FOX gave me access to Fringe at 2 in the morning on my computer with adverts, I would watch it. It becomes unfair that we end up not enjoying a show but fearing for it; this a place which will always lead to disappointment, and in our world now will lead to a lot of programming becoming extinct.

Is there a solution? I feel it’s simple. The networks should sit back, and open a computer and look. Who should give a f&%k about 1.4 ratings. There’s millions of people watching Fringe online worldwide because they don’t have access to it, and people nowadays don’t like to be defined by being told to watch a TV at this time. Also the internet has created a world where if you don’t get it at the same time, you are losing out on the new experience of TV; the articles, the reviews, the world behind the scenes.

So if they give it to us in a way that is useful to them, makes them money and we can watch it when we have the opportunity, online, on TV, who gives a flying monkey; just give it to us. Find a way to create TV programming that lets us know that the time we are willing to give to you is rewarded in return.

I hope this doesn’t sound to preachy, it’s more of a vent on my part :stuck_out_tongue: (as such, apologies if anything didn’t make sense)
But I figured it’s a great thing to discuss with people who, like me actually passionately care about this, so please fire away and comment, tweet, facebook, email me if you wish.

I just had a point to make. Consider it made.

Adam"

Source

How do you feel about “our” point of view about how television shows are aired nowadays? And if somebody of the mods knows a better section on the boards, feel free to move it there. Thanks

#2

It is about time that TV Networks realised something. TV is global and that they need to find a way to show original programming to the world

Yeah, that’s a historical legacy, like most of copyright law (it’s insanely stacked to preserve the previous iteration of technology.) Good luck on them giving up on the ability to sell the same show thrice (US, UK, AUS)

Oddly, most of us don’t have to wait quite so long.
In the meantime, there are other means.

#3

I thought Fringe was doing good on fridays…

#4

Indeed, copyright law has a LONG WAY to go before it catches up to current levels. Unfortunately, “other means” often lead to industry professionals not being able to make a decent living…or, ironically, has leveled the playing field for smaller, nimbler operations/artists (I’m mostly thinking from within the music side of things, with which I have more experienced, but The Guild and other internet based series seem to suggest that it’s possible with serial filmmaking–is it still television if it’s not on TV?) to find a niche audience or even thrive, even while practically (or actually) giving their product away.

What times we live in!

#5

That’s also why it think it is. The studio execs just wanna make more money by selling TV shows to foreign countries which results in the long lag between American and European/Asian airing. Of course the post production for dubbing or edits (like many Dexter scenes were cut for the German airing) take time as well. But since today a big part of us watching the show in Europe don’t need (UK) or want (Hellooo…English learned in school) a national version, why is it so difficult to make it available here the day or week of the original airing? Like with Hulu, AmazonOnDemand or iTunes Store.

Thank God there are other means! Although it is nice to get the episodes without any advertisement, I would gladly watch an episode of my shows with it so that the studios would at least get their money and the ad companies can think that consumers saw their product/service.
That US stations are now streaming the episodes a day or so after the original airing is a good step in the right direction, but why do they have to exclude all non-American IP-addresses?

They were the first two weeks (1st only up against reruns), but last week the Nielsen ratings went down quite a bit. Either the people with these boxes went to the JB movie, or those who have watched it before don’t like the new plot point.

I believe, that a big part of those who get their TV series via torrent etc. want the industry professionals to get their earning either via the ad supported airing system or by means like individual episode downloads from online stores. And like me, when we finally get the opportunity to buy the DVD’s (thank you Amazon.co.uk!) they are willing to do so. But only for an acceptable price, not like nearly 60 € for an UK Import Version of LOST Season 5 when the German one is 20 € cheaper. For that you had to wait 5 months longer. The main problem is that we’re tired of waiting months (or years) until we the original (aka. English) version of the show we want is released here.
Just imagine there is a fantastic…let’s say French TV series that you like, you can speak French and you have to wait 6+ months until you can watch and discuss it with your French friends.
Of course the situation is different in the music industry.

#6

I believe, that a big part of those who get their TV series via torrent etc. want the industry professionals to get their earning either via the ad supported airing system or by means like individual episode downloads from online stores. And like me, when we finally get the opportunity to buy the DVD’s (thank you Amazon.co.uk!) they are willing to do so. But only for an acceptable price, not like nearly 60 € for an UK Import Version of LOST Season 5 when the German one is 20 € cheaper. For that you had to wait 5 months longer. The main problem is that we’re tired of waiting months (or years) until we the original (aka. English) version of the show we want is released here.
Just imagine there is a fantastic…let’s say French TV series that you like, you can speak French and you have to wait 6+ months until you can watch and discuss it with your French friends.
Of course the situation is different in the music industry.

It’s not so different, actually. The only difference is that the recording industry did not put copy protection protocols into digital media from the beginning. Sucks to be them, I say. Most smaller artists (myself included) are happy to get their music out there and make most of their money from performance fees and royalties. Even some bigger acts (I’m looking at you, Radiohead) have embraced alternative distribution and pricing models (see what they did with “In Rainbows” or what they’re doing with the unfortunately titled and just announced “The King of Limbs”).

The industry,–be it TV or music–as Pike points out, is just constantly lagging behind and, for that reason, so is the law (since the industry has the money and the power to hire lobbyists to influence the writing of legislation).

#7

when digital music first started record companies said it’s illegal, and instead of trying to sell stuff on the new age platform, they gripe and gripe and try to stop any kind of digital music being distributed. Until Apple comes along and make big bucks which the record companies should have been making.

the same thing is going on for TV series. Movies now-a-days pretty much premiere the same day around the world, but not TV shows. Not for most people anyway. So today I am watching Glee s2e04 by the “correct means”, which is Star World channel on cable. That’s episode aired in the US back in October 12, 2010.

Not only does it air super late, it is chopped up so bad for content censorship, to the point the plot becomes hard to follow. I know it is because Star World is a Singapore based network that broadcasts to places like Indonesia and Malaysia where laws forbids certain things. just because some people are scared of “sweet girl kisses” between Brittany and Santana showing up on TV, i have to suffer as well.

So when other means exist, why would someone who with the intent of following an American TV series, wait almost half a year for some cut up version of their favorite show? They should just go ahead and allow digital distribution because current distribution just isn’t working.

Though it’s not like they are unable to deliver a show quickly. American Idol is on Star World the day after it airs in the US. They call the 6 pm showing of American Idol “live”. I guess it’s live at the same time in Guam, so technically it’s “live in US” as well.

By the way, that makes me thankful again for the great Star Trek DS9, and the awesome season 4 episode Rejoined. They made a very serious and meaningful episode on love beyond genders so that network TV now feels free to dish out random girl on girl macking scenes. Guys around the world salute you, Star Trek.

#8

I think Fringe was doing very well for Fridays until Supernatural came back (competing shows for the same/similar audience). But it’s still hanging in there with a good (well, ok) demo.

I think it is quite strange that it’s 2011 and we’re still using something as archaic as a “Nielson box”. What is it maybe 1% of the population blessed with such a box will dictate the ratings for everyone, never mind about overseas viewers*!

*except in the case of Heroes, where NBC also produced it, and the entire fourth season only existed solely because of overseas viewers (and that it was still lucrative for NBC, who owns those rights because it produces it,to sell it overseas).