Would the "Appreciation Index" system work in the US?

[23skidoo]

For anyone who doesn't know, in the UK there's a second TV ratings system they use besides the one that estimates viewers. They have a thing called the AI or Appreciation Index.

I have no idea how it works, exactly -- whether they do a phone survey or people push a button or what -- but it basically gauges how much people like a particular show. Apparently the highest AI figures are often given to special-event programs, but Doctor Who got a very nice bit of good publicity when its season finale last year scored what were apparently some of the highest-ever AI figures for a scripted series. (In fact it was a valuable bit of ammo supporters of Russell T Davies used against the bashers who tried to claim no one liked it.) The first episodes of the third season of spinoff The Sarah Jane Adventures just came back with their AI ratings, and again there was some positive spin to be had as they were much higher than average for that type of show.

Here in North America we don't have an AI system (at least not one that's publicised). But I wonder if one would work here? I think it would be very interesting to see how audiences respond to shows, rather than just some vague idea of how many people watched. And it might even serve to boost shows that are fading in the ratings. For example, a lot of people have given up on Heroes, but if they did an AI among those who are watching and found it scoring much higher than last season, it might get people to watch.

On the other hand, it would be interesting to see if shows that are hugging the top of the ratings are actually liked by the people watching them. Quality and ratings have never truly gone hand in hand.

As I say, I have no idea how the AI works. I must assume some sort of honor system must be in place, so that people vote honestly, even if they're huge fans of a show (for example, a nuBSG fan giving every episode a 95 AI rating, regardless whether the episode was good or bad, and nuBSG had its share of bad episodes).

I don't believe AI has any bearing on whether a show lives or dies in the UK (other than maybe sparking renewed interest in a show), so I wouldn't see it as any sort of replacement for the current, outdated ratings system over here. But I think it would be interesting to see what kind of results we get. I mean, do people actually LIKE watching American Idol, or do they just tune in for background noise, or because they feel it's the in thing to do?

Alex

 

[cultcross]

As I say, I have no idea how the AI works. I must assume some sort of honor system must be in place, so that people vote honestly, even if they're huge fans of a show (for example, a nuBSG fan giving every episode a 95 AI rating, regardless whether the episode was good or bad, and nuBSG had its share of bad episodes).

This is of course also true of the Nielson system - if you happen to be a Nielson home, you have immense power over what goes on TV, and represent the habits of thousands (as I understand the system). The potential to mess with stats is quite large, even if you're doing it unintentionally (say you're a religious watcher of a show everyone else hates).

I don't believe AI has any bearing on whether a show lives or dies in the UK (other than maybe sparking renewed interest in a show), so I wouldn't see it as any sort of replacement for the current, outdated ratings system over here. But I think it would be interesting to see what kind of results we get. I mean, do people actually LIKE watching American Idol, or do they just tune in for background noise, or because they feel it's the in thing to do?

I think you may have hit on why they might not want it - it would reveal whether these hugely 'successful' shows like American Idol actually have viewers glued to the screen (and hence paying attention to the ads) or wandering off to the fridge or running on the treadmill at the same time. It would likely affect negatively the ad price successful shows could ask for if their viewership decided they didn't really like the show. On the flip side, it would be very unlikeyl to pull up the ad revenue of a barely-watched show, even if every audience member never left their seat, because ad prices are already based on ratings=genuine viewers.

 

[Holdfast]

For anyone who doesn't know, in the UK there's a second TV ratings system they use besides the one that estimates viewers. They have a thing called the AI or Appreciation Index.

I'm in the UK, and I never knew this existed...