The ratings squabble

When is a primetime top ten list not a top ten list? According to CTV, when that list is issued by Global Television. Of course, the logic seems to also work in the other direction as the two national private broadcasters battle not only in the ratings, but over how to interpret them correctly. Wednesday Global issued the press release Canada's ratings race officially a dead heat, which declared it had finally split the primetime top 10 ratings evenly with CTV for the first time in years. It doesn't seem like an accomplishment one could easily fabricate, and, indeed, Global offered that, "A straightforward, consistent look at the numbers speaks volumes." Indeed, the primetime ratings for September 17 to October 14 in the 18- to 48-year-old demographic offer an impressive showing by Global programs: Global's Fall 2007 Primetime Top 10House1,741,000 GlobalSurvivor: China1,283,000GlobalGrey's Anatomy1,142,000CTVHeroes1,129,000GlobalCSI1,018,000CTVFamily Guy974,000GlobalDesperate Housewives945,000CTVCSI Miami915,000CTVPrison Break856,000GlobalThe Simpsons833,000GlobalNot so fast Global. CTV issued its own press release Ratings Race a Non-Starter shortly after its competitor, questioning Global's logic. "When you're Number 2, you'll say anything," wrote CTV, stating that Global's "anything" was including the week of September 17 as part of its ratings when the start of the Fall season is generally considered to be September 24. Taking this into account, CTV said "The numbers speak for themselves." Certainly, CTV finds itself in good standing among the 18-49 demographic as well: CTV's Fall 2007 Primetime Top 10House1,741,200 GlobalGrey's Anatomy1,374,600CTVSurvivor: China1,262,200GlobalCSI1,186,800CTVHeroes1,128,600GlobalCSI Miami1,007,100CTVDesperate Housewives944,800CTVLaw and Order: SVU925,000CTVCriminal Minds868,300CTVCSI: New York862,500CTVInstead of airing four of the top 10 primetime shows, as Global indicated, CTV says it actually distributes seven of the top 10. "Far from being a ‘dead heat,' Canada's so-called ‘ratings race' is anything but with CTV far and away the number one network in the country," said CTV. Of course, this isn't the first time Global and CTV have disagreed on how to interpret the ratings. In fact, it's not even the first time this month that they've had such a disagreement. On October 2, Global parent company CanWest MediaWorks Ltd. issued a press release stating: "Despite press releases heralding that ‘CTV continues to dominate Premiere Week,' a closer and more comprehensive look at the ratings reveals that CTV's success has been largely focused in the 50+ demographic... is struggling to remain competitive in the key target group that advertisers demand: viewers 18-49." While struggling may have been a bit of an exaggeration, Global did offer ratings that showed it held three of the top five primetime shows, and five of the top 10, during the first week of the Fall season - which, as CTV would later point out, Global initially acknowledged began the week of September 24. Not surprisingly, CTV countered: "Contrary to a sour grapes press release today from Canwest Mediaworks, overnight data from BBM Nielsen Media Research confirms that Global was once again the number 2 network among key demos during the first week of the Fall TV season."To prove its point CTV turned to average audience among the 18-49 demographic for the first week of the season. In that area it trumped Global 547,000 to 487,000, a difference of 12%. Overall, the fact that Global shies away from mentioning the total audience ratings - where it handily trails CTV - in its press releases is probably the best indication that CTV is, in fact, winning the ratings battle. The matter is, however, open to interpretation.

The ratings squabble

Broadcast | October 19, 2007

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