How do TV Stations know how many people watch their show?

Question

If someone just flicks on past the channel, does that count as them watching the show? How does it work? Thanks.

Answer 1

surveys and polls i think

Answer 2

Most people have cable now, so I'm pretty sure they have technology in place now to tell what people are watching.

Answer 3

A sample of people throughout the US are paid to keep a log of their TV watching for  week.  The logs are sent in and the data complied.  More recently, people are paid to have a box put on their TV witch will record the station they watch and for how long.  it is the Nielsen company

Answer 4

No Penny, you are wrong.  People get paid one dollar per T.V. to record what the watch for one week.  We have done it twice.  Look up Nielson ratings.  They do it.

Answer 5

I can't say for sure, but I believe the first person to answer is the most right. It does come from the reports gathered by the Nielsen company. In fact, a lot of times when people talk about the "ratings" they will call them "Nielsen ratings." My guess is that the Nielsens figure out things percentage wise. If they have 1000 people who have agreed to have recording boxes in their home, and 65% of them are watching American Idol one night, then they figure 65% of all viewers in America were probably watching so that would be 7 million people (or whatever number).

Answer 6

the tv stations put implants in the cables and can see us and wat we are doing in whatevr room the tv is in and can see wat we are watching...

too bad if you have a "mate" over and your in you bedroom and the tv's on