Ratings Information

[Twich]

Since the cancellation and Sci Fi's discussion of "softening" ratings for Farscape, the current ratings have become quite the hot topic.

Here are the ratings for Farscape (in the US) since the cancellation. There are also links to the discussions of these ratings in the forums.

Kansas:
8PM Farscape 1.34
9PM Stargate 1.75
10PM Tracker 1.45
11PM Stargate 0.89
12PM Farscape 0.78
1AM X-Files 0.60
(There are several discussions on this first set of ratings...they can be found on pages 35-37 of the campaign strategizing forum.)

Terra Firma:
7 pm, Dead Zone - 0.52
8 pm, Farscape - 1.06
9 pm, Stargate - 1.57
10 pm, Tracker - 1.24
11 pm, Stargate - 0.96
12 midnight, Farscape - 0.81
http://www.watchfarscape.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6723

Twice Shy:
7PM Dead Zone: 0.7
8PM Farscape: 1.3
9PM Stargate: 1.9
10PM Tracker: 1.4
11PM Dream Team: 0.4
11:30PM Stargate: 0.6
12:30AM Farscape 0.6
http://www.watchfarscape.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6914

Mental As Anything:
7pm Dead Zone 0.5
8pm Farscape 1.0
9pm Stargate SG-1 1.5
10pm Tracker 1.1
11pm Dream Team 0.4
11:30pm Stargate SG-1 0.7
12:30am Farscape 0.4
http://www.watchfarscape.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7110

Bringing Home the Beacon:
07PM: DEAD ZONE 0.8
08PM: FARSCAPE 1.3
09PM: STARGATE SG-1 1.9
10PM: TRACKER 1.2
11PM: STARGATE SG-1 0.7
12AM: FARSCAPE 0.6
http://www.watchfarscape.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7303

A Constellation of Doubt:
07PM Dead Zone 0.4
08PM Farscape 1.0
09PM Stargate 1.5
10PM Tracker 1.0
11PM Stargate 0.9
12AM Farscape 0.7
http://www.watchfarscape.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7466

Prayer:
07PM DEAD ZONE 0.5
08PM FARSCAPE 1.1
09PM STARGATE SG-1 1.5
10PM TRACKER 1.0
11PM STARGATE SG-1 1.0
12AM FARSCAPE 0.6
http://www.watchfarscape.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7600

We're So Screwed Pt 1
Dead Zone 7pm 0.7
Farscape 8pm 1.1
Stargate 9pm 1.7
Tracker 10pm 1.2
Stargate 11pm 0.9
Farscape 12am 0.7
http://www.watchfarscape.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7780

We're So Screwed Pt 2
Farscape 8:00 1.2
Stargate 9:00 1.6
Tracker 10:00 1.2
Stargate 11:00 0.9
Farscape Midnight 0.9
http://www.watchfarscape.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8081


We're So Screwed Pt 3
07:00 DEAD ZONE 0.7
08:00 FARSCAPE 1.2
09:00 STARGATE SG-1 1.7
10:00 TRACKER 0.9
11:00 STARGATE SG-1 0.9
12:00 FARSCAPE 0.8
http://www.watchfarscape.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8294

[Eve11]

Here are some links if you are interested in how the Nielsen Ratings System in the US works.

Nielsen FAQ:
http://www.nielsenmedia.com/FAQ/index.html

Ratings definitions, concepts, and methodology (including an intro on sampling and standard error):
http://members.aol.com/forbino/chapter6.html

The key thing to note is that, as long as the sample is random, statistical confidence in an estimate depends only on the sample size (5000 Nielsen households), and not the overall population size (106,700,000 television households). That said, as the number of available channels increases, estimates for any one particular show become sparser (based on fewer observations). However, this is a problem that affects all cable television shows and not just Farscape.

In business surveys, the big worry is not sampling error (related to sample size) but non-sampling error (also called bias) that comes from a variety of sources. They all boil down to the problem of the sample not being representative of the population of interest.

Two pages that give good definitions of sampling error and sampling bias:
http://www-cta.ornl.gov/npts/1995/courseware/Useable_Nav3_18_27.html
http://www-cta.ornl.gov/npts/1995/courseware/Useable_Nav3_19_27.html

A page defining and describing non-response:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_PD008

[Jul]

A rating is the estimate of how many people are watching a show.

What are the basics of how it's calculated? Here's what Nielsen says:

The total number of television households in the United States (including Alaska and Hawaii) is estimated at 106,700,000, according to Nielsen Media Research. The new universe estimate will take effect with the broadcast week of August 26-September 1, 2002, meaning each national rating point will represent one percent of the total, or 1,067,000 television households

What does that mean?

a rating of 1.0 = 1,067,000 television households were watching.

and a rating of 1.0 means what? Well, a 1.0 means 1% of all of the television households were watching.

[S0m3B0dy]

Translation

The current nielson rateings system DOES NOT WORK!!!!! Not under the current cable and satalite TV setups with upwards of 500+ differnt major channels to choose from. It used to work just fine when there was like 5-10 channels at most.

As most ppl would point out I shouldn't says its a problem if I don't have a solution. I in fact don't have a solution. However I'm sure they can come up with a better method than guessing. If you read what they say that is basicaly what there doing guessing. Yes the fate of your favorite TV lays in the ahnds of some geek GUESSING how many ppl watched it. Truely sad.

5000 or of 106 million homes? Yeah that is realy repasentative. This is the computer age why don't these morons put a box in all 100 million homes. Then they would know for sure. There I came up with a solution. Hell make the end user pay for the hardware. I'd gladly pay 50$ for a box if it ment someone would pay attention to the fact that I REALY do watch shows like farscape.

Bleh I'm going to shut up and go read every one of these articles. There has to be a way to fix this. More later.

EDIT - I just went and read the nielson web page and I was right. This doens't work. Now with 400 channels and 100 million homes out there. There samples are WAY to small.

I siad it once I'll say it agian. This is the computers age. Log everyhting that 10+ million ppl watch then you will know for sure.

[Twich]

Bad Timing ratings:

07pm Dead Zone 0.7
08pm Farscape 1.4
09pm Stargate SG-1 1.8
10pm Tracker 1.2
11pm Stargate SG-1 1.2
12am Farscape 1.0

[Elminster_Aumar]

Originally posted by Eve11
Here are some links if you are interested in how the Nielsen Ratings System in the US works.

Nielsen FAQ:
http://www.nielsenmedia.com/FAQ/index.html

Ratings definitions, concepts, and methodology (including an intro on sampling and standard error):
http://members.aol.com/forbino/chapter6.html

The key thing to note is that, as long as the sample is random, statistical confidence in an estimate depends only on the sample size (5000 Nielsen households), and not the overall population size (106,700,000 television households). That said, as the number of available channels increases, estimates for any one particular show become sparser (based on fewer observations). However, this is a problem that affects all cable television shows and not just Farscape.

In business surveys, the big worry is not sampling error (related to sample size) but non-sampling error (also called bias) that comes from a variety of sources. They all boil down to the problem of the sample not being representative of the population of interest.

Two pages that give good definitions of sampling error and sampling bias:
http://www-cta.ornl.gov/npts/1995/courseware/Useable_Nav3_18_27.html
http://www-cta.ornl.gov/npts/1995/courseware/Useable_Nav3_19_27.html

A page defining and describing non-response:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_PD008

I cannot go into detail because of Confidentialiy, but I used to work for Nielsen's and know that if left up to their rating process, Farscape will not come back, I've seen this happen to so many shows during my work there, shows that should not have been cancelled because of the random 5000 Nielsen households

This site and the efforts us Users & Fans do can! Showtime would be the best solution to this, and hopefully they will see the impact Farscape has on Television Watchers. However they cannot do it alone, for they must get the rights from SciFi to release it to Henson.

[Stargate2077]

Welcome to the board, Elminster_Aumar. I'd like to invite you to the Campaign Strategizing forum and help us with the current projects to help save Farscape.

[the_cadpig]

for they must get the rights from SciFi to release it to Henson.

Sci-Fi doesn't own Farscape. Henson does. SciFi only has dibs on the rerun rights for the next 2 yrs.

[Stargate2077]

the_cadpig: Elminster_Aumar might have been taking about the reruns rights anyway, but you can be sure by the way the post is worded. However, thank you for making sure Elminster_Aumar definately has the correct information.

[Darkness Ascending]

can we buy farscape's rights and let other channels rerun the episodes for free :D

*wakes up*

[Stargate2077]

I wish!

[Twich]

Elminster_Aumar, welcome to the board! I agree with Stargate2077...any help you could give us in the campaign strat forum would be appreciated! Thanks!

[Jon_the_scout]

Can someone post a link so I can look up rating for the scifi and want to look the up day by day. I would like to see the rating for eq wed any ideal how I can do this
:D

[Stargate2077]

Welcome to the board. I am not exactly sure what you are asking, but what you want is the ratings for Farscape episodes, right? We have the ratings from the first airing of every new Farscape episode. (http://www.farscapeworld.com/other/other/usrating.shtml)

If you want ratings for the Farscape reruns that are showing right now, then you will have to wait until they are made available to the public.

[Twich]

Ratings information also usually takes a few weeks to come out...so if there's a specific date you are looking for, make sure there are several weeks before you start really looking. SciFiWire is a good place to check for general Sci Fi ratings.

[Sparky]

What I want to know is how come they don't take the first showing and second and add them together. FS got over 2.0 that way. Is it because it was the SAME boxed families both time so they don't count? Why measure a second showing then. They have to count it, to give to sponsors.

The Viewer Consortium is forming a sub group under the programming department to formulate a new ratings system.
They can use help with this issue and a new solution to the Nielsens. Anyone who is interested in that project can write to
resources@theviewerconsortium.com

[Eve11]

Well, they don't add because they are looking for an overall trend. They use averages for that. Statistically, you can have more confidence in your estimate of an average than you can in an estimate of a sum.

Probably the reason they didn't average Farscape's showings was because one of them (the 8pm) was in Prime Time and one of them (the midnight) was not.