J
Joseph_Gallant
Guest
I am going to go up on my soapbox and rant that the scheduling of the November "sweeps" by Nielsen be changed.
What I'd like to see if the sweeps rescheduled so that they always end the night before Thanksgiving (since sweeps always start on a Thursday and end on 28 nights later, which is always a Wednesday. That's why the final night of the prime-time TV season is always the Wednesday night before Memorial Day in late May).
Why do I advocate such a change??
(1) On Thanksgiving weekend, many millions of people travel "back home". In some markets, I think that one-third of the people normally residing in the market may not be in that market. Today, three generations of a family are likely to live in as many different parts of the country. With many people not in their "home market" for the weekend, viewing patterns get disrupted.
(2) And even if people are home for Thanksgiving, thanks to family activities, TV viewing is "out of whack". For instance, it's my understanding that on a typical Sunday afternoon during the NFL regular-season, more people nationally watch a CBS or Fox 4:15 P.M. (ET) game than a 1:05 game. But on Turkey Day, thanks to Thanksgiving dinners, it's reverse: The 12:35 (EST) game gets more viewers than the 4:15 game, because many are sittting down to dinner during the time the 4:15 game is being played. The exceptions are probably Dallas and whatever is the home city of the Cowboys' Thanksgiving Day opponent.
(3) I suspect some "prime" (read: weeknights at 6 and 11 P.M. ET/5 or 6 and 10 P.M. CT/MT on ABC/CBS/NBC stations and weeknights 10 P.M. ET/PT, 9 P.M. CT/MT on Fox, UPN and WB affiliates) local news, weather and sports anchors probably have it written into their contracts that they get holidays off. But if Thanksgiving occurs during the sweeps, "prime" news/weather/sports anchors might not be able to get Thanksgiving or the day after off, even if it's written into their contracts (and any anchor should be able to negotiate a contract that gives them all holidays off). I believe that unless there is a major news story that day which warrants their being there, "prime" anchors should get Thanksgiving and the next day off.
(4) While a couple of networks broadcast college football games on the day after Thanksgiving, I am curious if viewing levels during both daytime and prime-time hours are lower than usual due to the fact that it's also the traditional start of the Christmas-shopping season (although in my case, I've already done a lot of my shopping for this year).
(5) I would also think that prime-time viewing levels on the Sunday after Thanksgiving may be lower than a typical late Fall Sunday night due to the fact that many people are enroute home after Thanksgiving weekend.
I personally believe that changing the schedule of the November "sweeps" so they always end the night before Thanksgiving would be helpful to the industry because:
(1) Thanksgiving weekend, with it's disrupted viewing patterns, is removed from the sweeps.
(2) "Prime" local news anchors would be on the air all 20 weeknights of the November "sweeps".
(3) Networks would not have to broadcast a lot of first-run prime-time programming (except for brand-new seasonal specials) during Thanksgiving weekend.
What do you think??
What I'd like to see if the sweeps rescheduled so that they always end the night before Thanksgiving (since sweeps always start on a Thursday and end on 28 nights later, which is always a Wednesday. That's why the final night of the prime-time TV season is always the Wednesday night before Memorial Day in late May).
Why do I advocate such a change??
(1) On Thanksgiving weekend, many millions of people travel "back home". In some markets, I think that one-third of the people normally residing in the market may not be in that market. Today, three generations of a family are likely to live in as many different parts of the country. With many people not in their "home market" for the weekend, viewing patterns get disrupted.
(2) And even if people are home for Thanksgiving, thanks to family activities, TV viewing is "out of whack". For instance, it's my understanding that on a typical Sunday afternoon during the NFL regular-season, more people nationally watch a CBS or Fox 4:15 P.M. (ET) game than a 1:05 game. But on Turkey Day, thanks to Thanksgiving dinners, it's reverse: The 12:35 (EST) game gets more viewers than the 4:15 game, because many are sittting down to dinner during the time the 4:15 game is being played. The exceptions are probably Dallas and whatever is the home city of the Cowboys' Thanksgiving Day opponent.
(3) I suspect some "prime" (read: weeknights at 6 and 11 P.M. ET/5 or 6 and 10 P.M. CT/MT on ABC/CBS/NBC stations and weeknights 10 P.M. ET/PT, 9 P.M. CT/MT on Fox, UPN and WB affiliates) local news, weather and sports anchors probably have it written into their contracts that they get holidays off. But if Thanksgiving occurs during the sweeps, "prime" news/weather/sports anchors might not be able to get Thanksgiving or the day after off, even if it's written into their contracts (and any anchor should be able to negotiate a contract that gives them all holidays off). I believe that unless there is a major news story that day which warrants their being there, "prime" anchors should get Thanksgiving and the next day off.
(4) While a couple of networks broadcast college football games on the day after Thanksgiving, I am curious if viewing levels during both daytime and prime-time hours are lower than usual due to the fact that it's also the traditional start of the Christmas-shopping season (although in my case, I've already done a lot of my shopping for this year).
(5) I would also think that prime-time viewing levels on the Sunday after Thanksgiving may be lower than a typical late Fall Sunday night due to the fact that many people are enroute home after Thanksgiving weekend.
I personally believe that changing the schedule of the November "sweeps" so they always end the night before Thanksgiving would be helpful to the industry because:
(1) Thanksgiving weekend, with it's disrupted viewing patterns, is removed from the sweeps.
(2) "Prime" local news anchors would be on the air all 20 weeknights of the November "sweeps".
(3) Networks would not have to broadcast a lot of first-run prime-time programming (except for brand-new seasonal specials) during Thanksgiving weekend.
What do you think??