TV’s Sweeps Month Muddies the Waters

TV is engaged in its “Sweeps Month,” the semi-annual ritual in which they base their ad rates for the coming season. The rates are based on the ratings of their shows. So all the networks pull out all the plugs to put their best material on the air to attract more viewers.

We see season-ending shows, finales to contests, exposes on the news, tear-jerking weddings, tear-jerking deaths, nail-biting cliffhangers and other gimmicks to grab our attention.

This has been going on for quite some time and is the standard for the industry.

Does anyone else see the fallacy here?

The ratings are biased!

The ratings don’t reflect normal viewing patterns or habits.

The ratings don’t reflect normal content on the shows.

After the sweeps month is over, TV goes back to being normal — or worse — as the networks show reruns!

It is sort of like going out on a blind date. Everyone is on their best behavior. It has very little to do with the way they would act in real life!

I can see why the networks have concocted this slight-of-hand trick.

I can’t understand why advertisers have bought into this deception. After all, they are the ones paying unrealistic prices based on a performance record that is rigged.