Google watching you watch Dish Network

[jacmyoung]

... but oh well it's probably only a few cents a subscriber.

More likely a few cents per 1,000 subscribers.

[mike123abc]

When we had the meeting with Charlie in Dallas, he said the DVRs report back skipped commercials and all recievers report back channel viewing. He was answering a question about the ratings of a channel that was in dispute at the time. He said they knew exactly how much of each channel was being watched, so he knew which channels mattered most to his customers.

What I find more interesting is that there are 4 million Dish DVRs involved. I would think that penetration of DVRs would be higher.

[vaylon]

The one thing I don't understand about all this is why Google doesn't kick the Nilson's family's butts with more accurate ratings of TV programs.

Google should put out a list each morning with the previous nights viewing habits and recording habits.
Maybe all the good shows will quit being canceled and all those nasty realty shows will vanish.

[lakebum431]

Agree, I could not care less. Hopefully they are reporting exactly what I watch and keeping track of it. That means they will keep the shows that I like and get rid of the ones who's timers I delete after one viewing. Here's to TV becoming more of what I want!

[TheKrell]

Here's to TV becoming more of what I want!

What this technology makes possible is not putting out more TV that you want, but rather more TV that "works" for advertisers. You are just a cow to be milked. Your desires are not relevant, other than to manipulate them for the benefit of others.

[lakebum431]

What this technology makes possible is not putting out more TV that you want, but rather more TV that "works" for advertisers. You are just a cow to be milked. Your desires are not relevant, other than to manipulate them for the benefit of others.

Are you really that dense? Do you think that TV is really around for your enjoyment now? No, it is around to make money. If this makes it so the advertisers know what I am willing to watch then so be it. I'd much rather have more options of things I want than things I don't.

[TheKrell]

Are you really that dense?

Of course not. The difference between you and me is I resent being milked, while you act as though you enjoy it. I really go out of my way to avoid watching those commercials, such as putting the receiver in pause for 10 minutes, so I can skip over them. If I find myself unwillingly viewing a commercial, I then go out of my way to avoid buying that product, even if I think it's neat, because I know the price is inflated to pay for the advertising I hate so much. I'm the advertisers' worst nightmare. I've got money, but they can't have it.

You might wonder what I do when a Dish Network commercial comes on. Well, I skip over those too, but nevertheless continue paying Dish over $100/mo for service. This is an inconsistency I suffer if I (or more precisely my family) want satellite service. Dish in turn, in addition to it's own costs, pays Big Bucks out to content providers in carriage agreements... I am hopeful that the old TV business model will die off completely some day. Then we'll be left with a pay TV model where we really do buy only what we want, and nothing else. No more surreptitious milking. Just obvious above-board milking.

[Grandpa J]

Broadcasters make money by selling advertising time. Rating are used not to determine whats popular but how many "eye balls" (an industry term) are watching a channel at a given time. While ratings are compiled from just a small sample of views, tests have shown that if more ratings boxes were use the results would be about the same.

That said, DVRs have made this old method of checking "eye balls" even less actuate than it was pre DVR days. Currently advertisers are working with producers to insert products into story lines. What used to be called limited Product Placement is now being tried on a broader scale due to DVRs. You know someone like advertiser are needed to pay the costs. So this becomes very important. Further, the above the line guilds (WGA, DGA, SAG and AFTRA) are looking at this placement situation too as their members don't get extra pay for this placements and some may conflict with the talents endorsement deals.

In the end it may be that narrow based cable channels or pay channels will surpass broad based network channels as advertisers see that they are losing "eye balls" because of DVR skipping. Yes the DVR has/is changing the old producer/broadcaster money making model. Most of us love DVRs advertisers don't.

[Grandpa J]

Mr "The Krell"

I worked in the industry for 43 years before retiring. I too skip commercials. But I realized that by doing it sooner or later that we will be paying for what is now "free" channels (free is really advertiser paid channels). We may beat the system for now but it will catch up to us one day.

However, it may not be right to call it "being milked" as we both are getting a free ride on the advertisers dollar. I know I did not work for nothing in fact I was very well paid, I don't think you don't work for free either. Advertiser's money as well as theater box office and DVD sales allow me to make a "Hollywood salary" that is much more money than the high end national average. I don't think advertisers/commercials are miking us, but as I noted I skip them too.

[Bob Haller]

well tivo reported that wardrobe malfunction a couple years ago what was it? during super bowl? I dont like football............