Has anyone here participated in the Nielsen Ratings? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

24/7 reruns · 01-09-2025, 09:15 AM

There may be a thread already on this. Has anyone here participated in the Neilsen ratings survey?

How does it work? How has it changed over the years?

i29u · 01-09-2025, 05:45 PM

For two or three months (they may have been weeks instead of months!) (non-consecutive), I filled out diaries showing what shows were watched on my TVs, I think there was a time grid and you had to put the shows you watched in that (including shows you recorder earlier and played back later). Also, for a month (or was it a week?), I filled out a similar Nielsen radio diary (which was easy since I don't listen to the radio very much at all nowadays). In bigger markets, they use electronic boxes attached to your TV set to record what was watched. My aunt and uncle were Nielsen families for a year or two- it seemed Nielsen did not want people to know that a household was a Nielsen ratings household.

Alan Brady's Hair · 01-09-2025, 07:18 PM

I did the Arbitron radio ratings. They sent you a little booklet to write in the shows you listened to that week. I confess to writing in the shows I liked, even if I forgot to listen.

Charles Knox · 01-09-2025, 10:55 PM

I got chose to keep a diary during the launch of Toon In With ME and Saturday Morning cartoons on METV.

If you ever do get a letter from them don't throw it away, because there is usually $2 inside the envelope.

Hawkee · 01-10-2025, 03:23 AM

My parents participated in the Nielsen Ratings once and they called our house they asked if my parents would like to participate in the Nielsen Ratings and my parents said yes and a week later we got our Nielsen Ratings diaries and Mom and Dad got one and I also got one and on mine I put in my favorite Game Show Network game shows and we did our diaries for "I think" two weeks and then we mailed our diaries back but I don't recall if my parents received money from Nielsen

rusty spike · 01-12-2025, 01:42 AM

Almost

This was back in 1998 or 1999

There was a one time gift of 100 or 150.

They also required a device to be installed to the actual TV set. A technician would be sent to install it. The backing of the set would be removed and a phone line would be required to send data. Our phone would be unavailable every night between 1 and 2 am.

I read the contract how they were not liable for any problems with the TV set, damage to the actual set and how the TV set's warranty was automatically voided.

Just decided that the entire thing was not worth it. So we declined.

Charles Knox · 01-12-2025, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rusty spike

Almost

This was back in 1998 or 1999

There was a one time gift of 100 or 150.

They also required a device to be installed to the actual TV set. A technician would be sent to install it. The backing of the set would be removed and a phone line would be required to send data. Our phone would be unavailable every night between 1 and 2 am.

I read the contract how they were not liable for any problems with the TV set, damage to the actual set and how the TV set's warranty was automatically voided.

Just decided that the entire thing was not worth it. So we declined.

I can understand not wanting to risk losing your television for a $150, which wouldn't cover for a new replacement.

James · 04-19-2025, 09:19 PM

I haven't gotten any surveys for the Nielsen TV ratings, but I have gotten two pieces of mail for Arbitron's radio surveys, in 2011 (which I remember since it included a trip down to Mississippi and Louisiana and I gave some rep to some stations down that way) and 2015 (which I gave mention to some low-powered stations I listen to over the Internet and not locally in Dayton).

franciis · 04-21-2025, 07:46 PM

yes.in the late eighties we were sent a diary to fill out.there were a few coins in package.we wrote down shows we......watch..... the

comedies,some shows we watch were known as comedy-dramas and the stories (soaps)

we love to watch....most every show we watch was on cbs....in the 80's.in 2025.... we

never,never watch tv networks....now we watch mostly over the air (me tv

,antenna tv,hallmark channel a few x.......the over the air free channels have

shows that make one feel good ........laugh out loud..tv shows....get mind off

merry go round world.....we never watch tv news channels.....)

01-09-2025, 09:15 AM	#1
24/7 reruns Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 10, 2022 Location: New York Posts: 1,468	Has anyone here participated in the Nielsen Ratings? There may be a thread already on this. Has anyone here participated in the Neilsen ratings survey? How does it work? How has it changed over the years?

01-10-2025, 03:23 AM	#5
Hawkee Michael Fassbender Fanatic Moderator Forum Star Join Date: Jan 17, 2016 Location: California Posts: 10,833	My parents participated in the Nielsen Ratings once and they called our house they asked if my parents would like to participate in the Nielsen Ratings and my parents said yes and a week later we got our Nielsen Ratings diaries and Mom and Dad got one and I also got one and on mine I put in my favorite Game Show Network game shows and we did our diaries for "I think" two weeks and then we mailed our diaries back but I don't recall if my parents received money from Nielsen
	__________________ Hawkee and Aguilar, Hoping to be a great team

04-21-2025, 07:46 PM	#9
franciis Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 09, 2021 Location: tn Posts: 479	yes.in the late eighties we were sent a diary to fill out.there were a few coins in package.we wrote down shows we......watch..... the comedies,some shows we watch were known as comedy-dramas and the stories (soaps) we love to watch....most every show we watch was on cbs....in the 80's.in 2025.... we never,never watch tv networks....now we watch mostly over the air (me tv ,antenna tv,hallmark channel a few x.......the over the air free channels have shows that make one feel good ........laugh out loud..tv shows....get mind off merry go round world.....we never watch tv news channels.....)
	Last edited by franciis; 04-21-2025 at 08:05 PM. Reason: spelling

01-09-2025, 05:45 PM	#2
i29u Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 05, 2004 Posts: 237	For two or three months (they may have been weeks instead of months!) (non-consecutive), I filled out diaries showing what shows were watched on my TVs, I think there was a time grid and you had to put the shows you watched in that (including shows you recorder earlier and played back later). Also, for a month (or was it a week?), I filled out a similar Nielsen radio diary (which was easy since I don't listen to the radio very much at all nowadays). In bigger markets, they use electronic boxes attached to your TV set to record what was watched. My aunt and uncle were Nielsen families for a year or two- it seemed Nielsen did not want people to know that a household was a Nielsen ratings household.

01-09-2025, 07:18 PM	#3
Alan Brady's Hair Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 30, 2014 Posts: 1,831	I did the Arbitron radio ratings. They sent you a little booklet to write in the shows you listened to that week. I confess to writing in the shows I liked, even if I forgot to listen.

01-09-2025, 10:55 PM	#4
Charles Knox Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 17, 2009 Posts: 1,225	I got chose to keep a diary during the launch of Toon In With ME and Saturday Morning cartoons on METV. If you ever do get a letter from them don't throw it away, because there is usually $2 inside the envelope.

01-12-2025, 01:42 AM	#6
rusty spike Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 08, 2015 Location: Southwest Posts: 1,124	Almost This was back in 1998 or 1999 There was a one time gift of 100 or 150. They also required a device to be installed to the actual TV set. A technician would be sent to install it. The backing of the set would be removed and a phone line would be required to send data. Our phone would be unavailable every night between 1 and 2 am. I read the contract how they were not liable for any problems with the TV set, damage to the actual set and how the TV set's warranty was automatically voided. Just decided that the entire thing was not worth it. So we declined.

04-19-2025, 09:19 PM	#8
James Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 07, 2001 Location: Dayton, Ohio, USA Posts: 6,370	I haven't gotten any surveys for the Nielsen TV ratings, but I have gotten two pieces of mail for Arbitron's radio surveys, in 2011 (which I remember since it included a trip down to Mississippi and Louisiana and I gave some rep to some stations down that way) and 2015 (which I gave mention to some low-powered stations I listen to over the Internet and not locally in Dayton).