CNN and MSNBC ratings battles : Should they include the web?

By Film Industry Network Staff / 2 comments

The constant speculation over TV ratings has long been a favourite topic of discussion; but what about the influence of the web?

When it comes to record sales, digital sales now make up the full figure of chart sales, so why do TV ratings not include internet stats?

One thing that would change the demographic of ratings is CNN. They may not be the top TV network for viewership ratings; but their website is. And with one of the biggest news sites in the world, it’s hard to come even close to them, even if you’re Fox or MSNBC.

So should website daily audiences stats be included in the run along with audience demographics for TV programs? Don’t forget there is also online participation now creeping into live TV coverage.

When it comes to Piers Morgan ratings versus Keith Olbermann’s Countdown figures, audiences make up part of the web’s influence. So far, Keith has excelled in his opening on Current TV, but the web doesn’t get a seperate measure. Twitter integration, facebook chats, live blogs. It’s all new. How do we quantify stats over a TV show from the web? Surely the real stats are much higher than right now?

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What do you think?

  • Ciberpuppi

    Personally, I don’t really know how to tally web viewers or those who watch tv shows by “alternative means”. Since I don’t have Current TV here, I watch Olbermann on a website and download his show a day or two later. Unless they want to try to track our IP addresses, I doubt an accurate count will be possible.

    On another note, it’s “even if Y-O-U-’-R-E Fox or MSNBC”.

    Does anyone proof read anything anymore?

    C-Pup

  • philip omar

    From my personal and anecdotal experience, there’s no doubt that CNN.com is by far among the most useful news websites. And I say that as someone who almost *refuses* to watch CNN on TV. Put simply, CNN does a better job of presenting news and video online than any other major network, including ESPN. That isn’t to say that I prefer CNN’s milquetoast point-of-view or their editorial decisions. But their site makes up for it with quantity and accessibility.

    As you know, there is no agreed upon or reliable way to measure online viewership/consumption. It is wide open to manipulation. But it’s about time that “ratings” begin to provide parallel web user statistics.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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