How does TV channel know how many viewers watched certain program?

Question

eg. Ch.5 said a certain number of viewers tuned in for a certain programme - how do they know I watched it?

Answer 1

Viewing figures are usually determined from market research or sometimes a panel of 1,000 regular contributors to a poll carried out by a market research or pollster company.

Viewing figures UK

http://www.viewingfigures.com/DesktopDef...

Answer 2

If you are one of the households being monitored, you would KNOW it because the ratings people would have given you equipment which record what you are watching and when you watch. In the case of cable and satellite, the digital decoder boxes are "smart" boxes and can be queried remotely just like the ratings monitor boxes to find out what you watch and when. The ratings people simply count how many people are watching what from a SAMPLE of the population and then estimate. In either case, an actual ratings monitor, or the cable and satellite smart boxes, they CAN identify YOU (your household actually, not you as a person, unless you live by yourself) specifically. TIVO does this to target you with suggested programs based on your viewing history. In the case of analog cable or if you use rabbit ears, they can NOT know anything about what you watch and when because there is nothing to keep track. If you have digital cable or satellite or TIVO, how do you like being spied on to keep track of your viewing habits? And to think you PAY EXTRA for this "convenience" of letting them know what you watch and when...They should be paying YOU for this information...

Answer 3

in the UK, they have groups of people who record the channels they watch and at what time. They then use these as the basis for the whole country. If there are less than 100000 people watching a side, it doesnt register at all....

Answer 4

Every colour television in this country has a small camera fitted.  A secret control room can watch what you are doing when ever they want by turning your camera on.

That is why the Government wants everynoe to go digital and hold a TV licence.  So they can make sure they are not missing anyone.

Answer 5

Your cable box monitors what and how long you watch.