The time period on Australian television when the Nielsen boxes inexplicably get ignored by commercial networks, and the public is left with the most execrable content that television has to offer.
Before the
black box of the
Nielsen Ratings System, there were three or four ratings periods
per annum where selected families would fill out
log books of their television viewing habits. The media would program their
blockbusters and popular
content accordingly. These ratings periods were generally set around
Christian holidays, with the two weeks over
Easter and two months over
Christmas set aside as non-ratings periods. With the onset of
electronic surveillance the importance of log books diminished and
ratings could be collected instantly. Yet in the land
Down Under, non-ratings period remained. And it wasn't due to
devout Christianity
Given that the media are a business and not a public service*, having a periods sans-ratings is hard to explain. Apart from the ability for the networks to give their stable of personalities a summer holiday, non-ratings period is probably more pronounced in Australia due to legislative provisions that require mandatory Australian content on commercial television. To summarise, the Broadcasting Services (Australian Content) Standard 1999,
Whilst the standard does state that Australian content must not simply be relegated to
timeslots better used for
phone sex advertising, it doesn't specify that the content needs to be shown in ratings periods. As a result, commercial stations produce
dirt cheap Australian programs, and show them when they won't be
rated. To fill the gaps between the Australian
shows, most networks run
endless reruns, and the content that even America rejects.
The Bette Midler Show, anyone?
* - Apart from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, which is a tax-payer funded public service....1 cent a day for independant media!