Randy
Nitro Member
I purposely started a new thread because I want my rant front and center. Here goes:
Last week we were out of town for a wedding. Not to worry, my DVR was set and ready. I purposely do not read the results on line so I can watch the show without knowing who won. We get home on Tuesday, and at my first opportunity I turn on the show. First clue...it starts late. If I am a casual watcher without a DVR and see drag racing listed in the TV Guide, turn it on only to see a stick and ball game I couldn't care less about, I would shut off the TV and go mow the lawn.
Because this has become SOP (standard operating procedure) with ESPN2 I always add a half our to my settings on the DVR. Even with the extra half hour the race coverage I recorded ended at the semi finals. I guess I needed to add an hour. Thanks to Drag Race Central I was able to log on after my DVR recording expired to find out who won.
So, wanting to see the alky show today, I set my DVR to record the scheduled one hour time slot, plus I recorded the truck show that followed it along with some other program right after that just in case it goes long.
Low and behold, I get home from church and turn on the Lucas Oil Sportsman series broadcast from Englishtown and I'm treated with highlights from NASCAR for the hour scheduled months ago for "Drag Racing." Again, if I am a casual fan, turn on the TV, sit down to watch "Drag Racing" and see NASCAR reruns I would turn off the TV and go mow the lawn.
So, my question is...No, my opinion is, they can NOT possible track the ratings accurately when week after week people who turn on ESPN2 to see "Drag Racing" are treated to the second half of a baseball game, poker tournaments, useless NASCAR updates, Worlds Strongest Man competitions or some other program that does not interest the people who wanted to see "Drag Racing" in the first place.
If Conan O'brian's opening night on the "Tonight Show" was pre-empted with 60 minutes of the ShamWOW guy or Billy Mays selling Viagra in the shape of a donut what do you suppose it would have done to Conan's ratings? The whole idea that tracking any program, be it the truck show that was bounced or anything else is ludicrous when the time slots are not sacred territory. As an advertiser I would be screaming for my money back. Motor oil companies don't reach their target audiences when Cheerleader Competitions replace Drag Racing, just as Ranger Bass Boat commercials don't do well when the audience is viewing a poker tournament instead of Bass Masters.
ESPN2 needs to buy some analog clocks and put them in every room so they can see what time it is. Maybe that would be a great place to start.
The ratings on every one of their "B" series programs needs to have an asteric* with a statement saying "Ratings are lower than they should be because your guess is as good as ours as to when the program will actually air on TV."
With all my admiration to the guys and gals who actually work hard to put these shows together,
Randy G.
Last week we were out of town for a wedding. Not to worry, my DVR was set and ready. I purposely do not read the results on line so I can watch the show without knowing who won. We get home on Tuesday, and at my first opportunity I turn on the show. First clue...it starts late. If I am a casual watcher without a DVR and see drag racing listed in the TV Guide, turn it on only to see a stick and ball game I couldn't care less about, I would shut off the TV and go mow the lawn.
Because this has become SOP (standard operating procedure) with ESPN2 I always add a half our to my settings on the DVR. Even with the extra half hour the race coverage I recorded ended at the semi finals. I guess I needed to add an hour. Thanks to Drag Race Central I was able to log on after my DVR recording expired to find out who won.
So, wanting to see the alky show today, I set my DVR to record the scheduled one hour time slot, plus I recorded the truck show that followed it along with some other program right after that just in case it goes long.
Low and behold, I get home from church and turn on the Lucas Oil Sportsman series broadcast from Englishtown and I'm treated with highlights from NASCAR for the hour scheduled months ago for "Drag Racing." Again, if I am a casual fan, turn on the TV, sit down to watch "Drag Racing" and see NASCAR reruns I would turn off the TV and go mow the lawn.
So, my question is...No, my opinion is, they can NOT possible track the ratings accurately when week after week people who turn on ESPN2 to see "Drag Racing" are treated to the second half of a baseball game, poker tournaments, useless NASCAR updates, Worlds Strongest Man competitions or some other program that does not interest the people who wanted to see "Drag Racing" in the first place.
If Conan O'brian's opening night on the "Tonight Show" was pre-empted with 60 minutes of the ShamWOW guy or Billy Mays selling Viagra in the shape of a donut what do you suppose it would have done to Conan's ratings? The whole idea that tracking any program, be it the truck show that was bounced or anything else is ludicrous when the time slots are not sacred territory. As an advertiser I would be screaming for my money back. Motor oil companies don't reach their target audiences when Cheerleader Competitions replace Drag Racing, just as Ranger Bass Boat commercials don't do well when the audience is viewing a poker tournament instead of Bass Masters.
ESPN2 needs to buy some analog clocks and put them in every room so they can see what time it is. Maybe that would be a great place to start.
The ratings on every one of their "B" series programs needs to have an asteric* with a statement saying "Ratings are lower than they should be because your guess is as good as ours as to when the program will actually air on TV."
With all my admiration to the guys and gals who actually work hard to put these shows together,
Randy G.
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