XPost: alt.tv.star-trek.tos, rec.arts.sf.tv, alt.battlestar-galactica   
   From: not@chance.dude   
      
   "Brian Henderson"   
   > Wickeddoll wrote:   
   >>>> But it's not always the amount of fans a show has.  I remember when   
   >>>> "Family Guy" aired the first time - it was moved and put on hiatus so   
   >>>> many times, we assumed it was cancelled, and gave up. (I'm sure   
   >>>> others did as well) Further, ratings services are only a sampling of   
   >>>> the public-at-large, and can only be used as a guideline.  Until   
   >>>> every single person contributes to the tally, those damned things   
   >>>> will never be totally accurate.  Personally, I think they're useless.   
   >>>   
   >>> While I agree they're useless, more people "participate" than think   
   >>> they do.  If you've got cable or satellite, your viewership is being   
   >>> counted whether you're aware of it or not.  Nobody knows specifically   
   >>> what you're personally watching, but collectively many cable companies   
   >>> turn over viewership to the ratings companies.  The only people who   
   >>> are not being counted are the over-air people and the people who   
   >>> download their content.   
   >>   
   >> I did not know that.   
   >>   
   >> How "1984" is that?   
   >   
   > There's nothing 1984 about it, like I said, individual viewership is not   
   > tracked, only collective data.  The cable providers certainly know who   
   > they're sending what to, why not let the television stations know?   
      
   Good point.   
      
   Still feels a little creepy, somehow.   
      
   Natalie   
   --   
   "Wicked little doll, you have no soul"   
   (David Byrne, 1997)   
      
   http://www.supernaturalusa.net   
   http://www.wegrokspock.net   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)