CW feels shortchanged by Nielsen, says 20% of audience watching online, on-demand

[TMC]

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.a...b9eeeadd5f183#

Networks that rely on 18-34 year-old viewers are being shortchanged by
Nielsen. So said CW president Mark Pedowitz at the net's Television
Critics Assn. panel Sunday in Pasadena.

"Nielsen missed the boat in the 18-34 demo," Pedowitz said. "They're
just not capturing them."

His comments come just days after NBC Entertainment chairman Robert
Greenblatt noted during his exec sesh that the CW, a network expected
to skew young, actually has a median age of 41.

Pedowitz joked with the journos in attendance that he would like to
give Greenblatt a "shout out" for pointing out that the CW had
broadened out its 18-34 demo, a strategy that has been in place at net
since Pedowitz joined in 2011.

The problem with that median age data, Pedowitz declared, is the CW
draws the 18-34 demo through means other than traditional broadcast.
Young viewers are tuning into shows on their tablets, laptops and
Xboxes instead of grabbing the remote, which has led to Nielsen
ratings that do not completely reflect the numbers, or success, of any
series on the CW.

In fact, according to Pedowitz, 20% of the CW's total viewership comes
from streaming and video-on-demand.

Flaws in Nielsen tracking demos are fodder for most network execs, but
the problem is particularly relevant to the CW, with its tech savvy-
young aud.

Gaining a more complete perspective of the CW's total audience was a
notable goal for the net in 2012, as it inked a measurement contract
with Rentrak.

"We are still experimenting with the new ratings system," Pedowitz
said. "We've been doing a lot of work with Rentrak and TRA (TiVo
Research and Analytics) and discovered, surprisingly with Rentrak,
that all broadcast, in terms of measuring households, is higher than
what Nielsen is reporting. We're about 21% higher."

[CommonTater]

I'm not in the '18-34 demo' but some of my children are and one grandchild is.
We all watch the same type shows. I honestly stopped watching CW when they canceled Reba, that was a funny show! I'm not even sure they were known as CW back then. I don't do any streaming and video-on-demand either because we don't have access to unlimited internet.

[nerdstein]

I am in the 18-34 year old demo. I don't watch any CW shows but I do watch almost everything online or on demand (with the exception of live sporting events).

A lot of these shows that get cancelled are usually the ones that have a very active and robust fanbase on the internet, but fail on tv because of the dismal ratings in the 'key demo'.

That's why netflix getting into original programming is so important. Depending on how their experiment goes, it could change the current landscape and save a lot of series that would otherwise be cancelled.

[robyrob]

i don't understand why CW feels like they are the ONLY channel that is losing ratings to online viewers; this is happening to ALL of the networks - they are NOT special in that regard.

[Mr. Television]

It's the networks own fault for putting the shows online.

[PrettyinPink55]

For me, The CW hasn't been relevant since The CW became The CW. I miss the two separate networks, The WB and UPN. I think their only current good show is The Vampire Diaries, and they haven't been able to emulate its success. The Carrie Diaries looks interesting though.

[noveel]

Originally Posted by Stuck In The '70's

It's the networks own fault for putting the shows online.

damned if they do, damned if they don't, people would just download them off bittorent if they didn't put them online

[noveel]

Originally Posted by PrettyinPink55

For me, The CW hasn't been relevant since The CW became The CW. I miss the two separate networks, The WB and UPN. I think their only current good show is The Vampire Diaries, and they haven't been able to emulate its success. The Carrie Diaries looks interesting though.

if they went after the Demo that still watches broadcast the most, they couldn't get any advertises except for Rascal scooters

[EmoJoe]

Originally Posted by robyrob

i don't understand why CW feels like they are the ONLY channel that is losing ratings to online viewers; this is happening to ALL of the networks - they are NOT special in that regard.

Well, The CW skews really young, and the younger audiences are the ones that are watching TV in these HORRIFYING NEW SCARY ways. So, I do think they are slightly more affected.

But anyway, Nielson ratings are stupid and outdated, ect

Originally Posted by Stuck In The '70's

It's the networks own fault for putting the shows online.

Uh...no, because people are already putting the shows online illegally. At least this way they can make some revenue off of online viewing. It's not a coincidence that the most torrented shows are the ones not available online legally (HBO and Showtime shows, mostly). The networks need to find a way to profit from this type of viewing, not hold their hands over their ears and pretend it doesn't exist.

[BigManMike]

There's really nothing I care about on the CW nowdays. After they cancelled Everybody Hates Chris, Girlfriends, One Tree Hill, and Smallvile, and moved The Game to BET, there's nothing there that I care to see. And there used to be reruns of good sitcoms in the afternoons on CW, now all they have are all these dumb talk shows.

[TMC]

http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/07/29/how-the-cw-survives/

As Les Moonves explained, the CW shows do make money even if the network is in the red.

[EmoJoe]

Yeah, The CW will be fine, at least for now. It's part of a massive media conglomerate, and the shows probably make a decent amount of money through methods other than Nielsons.

[noveel]

Originally Posted by TMC

http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/07/29/how-the-cw-survives/

As Les Moonves explained, the CW shows do make money even if the network is in the red.

isn't that how most broadcast networks operate, as loss leaders?

[TMC]

http://www.vulture.com/2013/07/netfl...-cw-alive.html

The Netflix model is "sorta" keeping the CW alive, but CW chief Mark Pedowitz says there are other options should Netflix and CW part ways.
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/tv-tattle#Tdl4T2OzQgkzMdQR.99

[Tubehead]

I Don't care too much for cw I Remember watching smallville back years ago. I know been watching arrow I enjoy it their one show looks good called the tomorrow people it looks good