We can help out Rachel, Keith, Ed, and yes, even Tweety if you're so inclined...

[gateley]

Ed Schultz told a guest that they get "credit" when their shows are recorded, so we can help oomph their ratings if we Tivo when we're unable to watch.

:hi:


(This may be a dupe, got an error message but it appears to have posted, just can't find where -- that's okay, the more people who see it the better!! :7)

[renate]

1. am I just incredibly naive?

I didn't know that cable companies could tell what we watch. Is it only when things are recorded, or any time we have the cable box on?

I mean, seriously though perhaps paranoidly, there were times during the Bush administration when I wondered whether people who spent time on DU and sites like this would be extra likely to be audited by the IRS or something like that... but I guess I should have wondered the same thing when I watched Keith Olbermann.

[haele]

2. Advertisors can pay the cable companies to track how many cable boxes are "logged into"

channels at any one time. I believe this is just specific digital converter boxes with recording capbability that do this with a tracker bug - that has to be enabled if you purchase your own box as a primary converter box/digital TV modem. (most people who buy their own TIVO or digital TV recorder hook it up "after" the converter box, so any tracking of recording there doesn't register)
I don't think they can figure out yet whether or not you've actually watched the program or how many times you watch something that's been recorded, just whether or not you've recorded it. So, if you leave your cable converter box "on" a dirty movie channel or a sports channel, if you've set up the recording on a device between the box and the TV, it shouldn't actually register as recording anything to the provider service.
They will, however, be able to record whether or not there's a signal going to your cable box, so if you're pirating a premium pay channel, they can track that so long as they have access to your box.

Haele

[gateley]

5. I'm getting an education here -- thanks! nt

[Garbo 2004]

3. For Nielsen metered homes, DVR playback within certain time frames are reported: same day, 3 days, 7

days. Advertisers particularly look at live viewing and DVR playback viewing within 3 days. http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/media_entertainment/how-dvrs-are-changing-the-television-landscape/

Just to clarify, recording alone isn't what goes into the Nielsen ratings numbers, it's playback within a certain time frame. And these are for Nielsen metered homes, which isn't everyone of course. If cable co's are looking at their own dvr data, it's still playback that they're looking at.

[gateley]

4. Interesting -- and a bit spooky, but I'm usually watching those guys so if it's

being monitored, that's fine. (Giving away my civil liberties here?). :hi: