Can you tell me who you get Viewing Figures? and how accurate they are?
Cheers.
EThan.
All UK broadcasters get audience figures from BARB (see www.barb.co.uk). They monitor the detailed viewing habits of a representative population sample of over 5,000 households.
Is it accurate? Well, it's the most accurate source of information we have at the moment. We wouldn't expect it to be exact, but we wouldn't expect it to be way off either.
Originally posted by C4: All UK broadcasters get audience figures from BARB (see www.barb.co.uk). They monitor the detailed viewing habits of a representative population sample of over 5,000 households.
Is it accurate? Well, it's the most accurate source of information we have at the moment. We wouldn't expect it to be exact, but we wouldn't expect it to be way off either.
Cheers for the info, but only 5,000 households in the u.k with a population of how many million??? surely the figures would be slightly off - nothing to do with you i know, you have no control over this.
There could be a group of the population who aren't monitored, who watch a program & could bump up ratings figures for a program that looks like it ain't doing well.
------------------------------ Kittridge: I understand you're very upset. Hunt: Kittridge, you've never seen me very upset.
I watched Shameless last night, and the announcer said that series 4 would be starting in the New year, but reading here, you say that a fourth season hasn't been confirmed. Why would they say it was coming back if it wasn't??
Shameless- There's now a definite contract for this, so it looks like full steam ahead for the Gallaghers. Hoorah!
(Also, rumours of Peep Show's demise were very much exaggerated- there will be a fourth series).
The BARB sample is as representative as they can make it. In other words it is very carefully calculated to reflect the population as a whole in terms of location, ethnicity, age range, family size, income etc. It's highly unlikely that any particular programme is adversely affected.
Why do C4 (specially E4 at the moment) continue to show the censored version of "Porn: A Family business"? It is shown well after the watershed, and has pre-broadcast warnings, so why are you still 'nannying' your adult audience in this way?
Similarly, why was a censored version of "Sex and Lucia" broadcast on C4? It has an uncut 18 certificate from the BBFC, which, according to Ofcom’s regulations, means it can be shown on any channel after 21.00?
C4, is this why you've gone back to S1 on More4 for ER - S7 onwards have been repeated on E4 before so why not More4? I was enjoying my daily repeats Any Reunion update?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Don't cha wish ur gf cud spel lyk mi
"The '70s had the hustle, the '80s the moonwalk. We've got the faux lesbian dance."
Why do C4's Viewer Enquiries take so long to reply? (approx 4 weeks is quoted in their autoresponder)
I waited ages for a reply about ER on E4 as to why they rarely align the ad breaks with the US ones (which is where the fade-to-blacks occur, and granted there are more ad breaks in the US than the UK but that doesn't stop the UK aligning ALL of its ad-breaks to some of the US ones)
That way it wouldn't cut straight from a tense scene to those 118118 dimwits shouting at the screen in the sponsor trailer.
Finally I got a reply from Gerald Splint who missed the point and replied as if I was asking why do they have so many ad breaks.
So I reply back and say that that's not what I was after and.... NO! I get the "4 week autoresponder" thing.
And I'm still waiting for a reply from Viewer Enquiries to tell me a name/email of someone I can contact at C4 (because VE won't comment further on the topic and at this point that's not what I'm asking for) about the arbitrary 6pm Simpsons Censorship.
Originally posted by Homer Simpsoy: Why do C4's Viewer Enquiries take so long to reply? (approx 4 weeks is quoted in their autoresponder)
Because it's not unusual for us to get more than 400 emails a day, plus a few hundred letters and upwards of 700 or so calls. We're not a huge department so sometimes we get a backlog. We do try and deal with time-sensitive enquiries (eg if someone's asking if a programme will be shown again and it's scheduled to come round the next day) immediately, but other enquiries usually take a while longer. It's not an ideal situation, but we do work hard to try and keep waiting times to a minimum.
I waited ages for a reply about ER on E4 as to why they rarely align the ad breaks with the US ones (which is where the fade-to-blacks occur, and granted there are more ad breaks in the US than the UK but that doesn't stop the UK aligning ALL of its ad-breaks to some of the US ones)
That way it wouldn't cut straight from a tense scene to those 118118 dimwits shouting at the screen in the sponsor trailer.
The day after you sent your email, your comments about the placement of commercial breaks will have been passed on to the people responsible for this, who monitor the situation and are alerted to all viewer feedback.
Finally I got a reply from Gerald Splint who missed the point and replied as if I was asking why do they have so many ad breaks.
Sorry you thought Gerald missed your point.
So I reply back and say that that's not what I was after and.... NO! I get the "4 week autoresponder" thing.
And I'm still waiting for a reply from Viewer Enquiries to tell me a name/email of someone I can contact at C4 (because VE won't comment further on the topic and at this point that's not what I'm asking for) about the arbitrary 6pm Simpsons Censorship.
Channel 4 Viewer Enquiries exists as a point of contact for the public. We are a conduit through which feedback is delivered to commissioners/producers/schedulers etc and through which information and statements are provided to viewers, where appropriate. Producers or C4 personnel can request viewers' contact details if they wish to respond individually, but we do not provide personal details of staff to the general public. I appreciate that the limited information available on some matters can be frustrating, but there is no "second level" that you can go on to if you're not satisfied with the response delivered through VE.
With regard to The Simpsons, the programme is occasionally edited, though this is not done on an "arbitrary" basis.
Can I have a reply to these please?
Re repeats of US acquisitions, the terms of the rights agreements are different for each of our channels.
Originally posted by C4: [QUOTE]Originally posted by Homer Simpsoy: And I'm still waiting for a reply from Viewer Enquiries to tell me a name/email of someone I can contact at C4 (because VE won't comment further on the topic and at this point that's not what I'm asking for) about the arbitrary 6pm Simpsons Censorship.
Channel 4 Viewer Enquiries exists as a point of contact for the public. We are a conduit through which feedback is delivered to commissioners/producers/schedulers etc and through which information and statements are provided to viewers, where appropriate. Producers or C4 personnel can request viewers' contact details if they wish to respond individually, but we do not provide personal details of staff to the general public. I appreciate that the limited information available on some matters can be frustrating, but there is no "second level" that you can go on to if you're not satisfied with the response delivered through VE.
With regard to The Simpsons, the programme is occasionally edited, though this is not done on an "arbitrary" basis.
Thanks for your prompt reply. I'll use this forum instead of the C4 email in future, I think.
However, on the fact there's no-one else I can contact, I have to take issue with that as that means VE are not accountable, and as such have not explained the situation with the Simpsons because I can prove the Simpsons is edited on an arbitrary basis and I'll paste in the text I originally sent to VE:
Firstly, from the "Mr Plow" episode broadcast on Sept 16th 2005:
"Homer crashes into his own car in the drive and the insurance salesman asks him:
Agent: Now, before I give you the check, one more question. This place ``Moe's'' you left just before the accident. This is a business of some kind? Homer: [thinks] Don't tell him you were at a bar!
(then you cut the following of Homer's thoughts and sayings) Gasp! But what else is open at night? [aloud] It's a pornography store. I was buying pornography. [thinks] Heh heh heh. I would'a never thought of that."
A couple of other episodes have left in the word "pornography", such as the monorail one where Mayor Quimby said he'd amuse himself with some pornographic playing cards.
Then in mid-February 2006, the Mr Plow episode was shown uncut. Yes, that is an arbitrary decision.
There's also a McBain clip in "Last Exit To Springfield", which is always badly censored, and that's no more slapstick violence than any Itchy & Scratchy clip.
And for another arbitrary censorship decision, "Another Simpsons Clip Show" (season 6 episode 3 - last broadcast Nov 9th 2005), the claim given by VE of censorship due to "OFCOM watershed guidelines" is an absolute falsehood because whereas in the episode "The Last Temptation of Homer" (season 5 episode 9) you censored the last word of the insult directed at Homer and Mindy, "Thanks for poisoning the planet, *******!", it was there for all to hear amongst the same piece used in the clip show above.
I wouldn't be asking to contact someone above VE if your responses didn't keep contradicting each other. Everyone has someone who they're answerable to and given the above cuts I don't think my request is beyond a reasonable one.
I know if differing answers were given at my place of work that contravened the clear and present facts, customers would be quite right to seek clarification from the next person above.
I see the word from the Homer/Mindy episode has been auto-censored here, which I wasn't expecting. Shorten the occupation "Bar steward" and you have the word, which is also used in a number of other Simpsons eps as it's not so much of a swear in the US.
Dino- 9/11: The Falling Man is due to be repeated on More4 on April 3rd at 9pm.
Homer- This forum is primarily intended as a place for viewers to discuss Channel 4 programmes amongst themselves. It is neither appropriate nor productive for you to use this thread as an alternative to contacting Viewer Enquiries directly. If you want to debate your issues with regard to editing in The Simpsons, please feel free to start a thread on that topic and chat to other forum users about it.
I'm sorry you're not happy that you can't communicate directly with the people responsible for editing our programmes, but as I said earlier they will have been alerted to your concerns when you emailed Viewer Enquiries.
I did start a thread and others weren't happy with the cuts either.
However, my other point was more about the fact that replies from different VE people contradicted each other, and that the replies didn't bear out with what was actually broadcast.
Surely you can understand how frustrating it is when you don't get a valid answer to a query and when asked for further clarification they just refuse to discuss it further or refer you on to someone else? (since they claim they've already answered it(!)
Such a shame that those at VE seem to have such little respect for their job and the viewers who watch the channel.
Originally posted by Homer Simpsoy: I did start a thread and others weren't happy with the cuts either.
However, my other point was more about the fact that replies from different VE people contradicted each other, and that the replies didn't bear out with what was actually broadcast.
Surely you can understand how frustrating it is when you don't get a valid answer to a query and when asked for further clarification they just refuse to discuss it further or refer you on to someone else? (since they claim they've already answered it(!)
Such a shame that those at VE seem to have such little respect for their job and the viewers who watch the channel.
Originally posted by Homer Simpsoy: I did start a thread and others weren't happy with the cuts either.
However, my other point was more about the fact that replies from different VE people contradicted each other, and that the replies didn't bear out with what was actually broadcast.
Surely you can understand how frustrating it is when you don't get a valid answer to a query and when asked for further clarification they just refuse to discuss it further or refer you on to someone else? (since they claim they've already answered it(!)
Such a shame that those at VE seem to have such little respect for their job and the viewers who watch the channel.
Sorry you feel hard done by.
That might be quite an amusing reply if it wasn't actually so tragic and real. I can't believe a TV channel would come out with something so care-free and dismissive.
Homer, I had not intended to be dismissive- I am genuinely sorry that this issue is causing you so much distress. I have attempted to explain to you how the Viewer Enquiries department operates, and how we convey feedback to the relevant people. Short of assuring you that your complaint has been directed appropriately, there is nothing we can do for you.
I do not believe that there is anything further to be gained from this exchange, and would respectfully ask you to try to contain your hostility and move on to another subject.
Originally posted by C4: I do not believe that there is anything further to be gained from this exchange, and would respectfully ask you to try to contain your hostility and move on to another subject.
*high-fives C4*
Hey - Haven't spoken to you for yonks! (Lest to say since I was BANNED in, what...January was it? ) How have you been keeping, eh? I'm now thinking you're a guy... Oh, and I think you should get a laughing, lol, smilie on here. But loving the additions!
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