In another example of the curious dichotomy that is American television, "Grey's Anatomy," which has the most expensive commercials of any show on broadcast TV, has once more emerged as the highest rated show of Fall's first week among TiVo viewers, according to the CA-based company that makes the gadget.
Over 50% of all TV viewing by TiVo users during the crucial first week of the new season was time-shifted. Only Sports shows were watched live. The TiVo people generated the numbers by tracking viewer's behavior every second they were watching...which is more than a little creepy?? ABC's "Grey's" ranked first in total viewers, followed by "CSI", then Housewives, then Survivor, and finally NBC's 'Heroes'. NBC's Sunday-Night football had the largest number of live viewers.
It's a telling detail that the most popular shows are also those which people are unable, or unwilling to watch live. Commercial intrusion into the television experience has rapidly become pestilential. It seems there is no feasible boundary to the amount of interference and interruption the Networks are willing to inflict on the viewer in their drool-speckled pursuit of the almighty dollar. The breaks are incessant, protracted and already gaining increasing presence during the shows themselves; And as ratings implode, the suits who are both responsible, and in charge no doubt have long and intense discussions to try and define why people won't watch??
NBC is the worst offender. They recently also gained the unenviable distinction of scoring the lowest ratings in the entire history of television. It would take considerable naivety, or Olympic-caliber denial to protest that the two facts are in no way related. To a Network, the audience is gold. Everything is...or at least, should be, focused on pleasing those who watch, and attracting many more. Instead, the policy appears to be to exploit whatever audience you have for every commercial-sourced dollar it's conceivable to create.
Result? Ratings go down, and DVR-ownership explodes!
The television industry is in crisis – they have enormous fixed costs, dwindling ratings and a competitive field that grows almost hourly. And consciously indulging in behavior that is driving vast swathes of your potential audience into the welcoming embrace of an industry whose products remove the need to endure even a single commercial is hardly a course for long-term stability.
What's the solution? We'll tell you....after the break.....
Over 50% of all TV viewing by TiVo users during the crucial first week of the new season was time-shifted. Only Sports shows were watched live. The TiVo people generated the numbers by tracking viewer's behavior every second they were watching...which is more than a little creepy?? ABC's "Grey's" ranked first in total viewers, followed by "CSI", then Housewives, then Survivor, and finally NBC's 'Heroes'. NBC's Sunday-Night football had the largest number of live viewers.
It's a telling detail that the most popular shows are also those which people are unable, or unwilling to watch live. Commercial intrusion into the television experience has rapidly become pestilential. It seems there is no feasible boundary to the amount of interference and interruption the Networks are willing to inflict on the viewer in their drool-speckled pursuit of the almighty dollar. The breaks are incessant, protracted and already gaining increasing presence during the shows themselves; And as ratings implode, the suits who are both responsible, and in charge no doubt have long and intense discussions to try and define why people won't watch??
NBC is the worst offender. They recently also gained the unenviable distinction of scoring the lowest ratings in the entire history of television. It would take considerable naivety, or Olympic-caliber denial to protest that the two facts are in no way related. To a Network, the audience is gold. Everything is...or at least, should be, focused on pleasing those who watch, and attracting many more. Instead, the policy appears to be to exploit whatever audience you have for every commercial-sourced dollar it's conceivable to create.
Result? Ratings go down, and DVR-ownership explodes!
The television industry is in crisis – they have enormous fixed costs, dwindling ratings and a competitive field that grows almost hourly. And consciously indulging in behavior that is driving vast swathes of your potential audience into the welcoming embrace of an industry whose products remove the need to endure even a single commercial is hardly a course for long-term stability.
What's the solution? We'll tell you....after the break.....
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