Why is this interesting at all?

I worked in local news for a decade.

I know what these surveys mean.

TV stations (or their hired consultants) pay thousands of dollars for these. They spend hours and hours debating what to focus on... wording the questions just so... hoping to get the respondent to answer honestly... rather than answering with what they think they should answer. Yes, that is a problem. A lot of people will say they watch the #1 station in town because, well, that's the station that everyone watches, when, in reality, they watch a different channel and don't even realize it.

Every station I've ever worked at has used these telephone surveys.

Every time the results would come back there would be a somber meeting. As a news producer we would analyze every single answer given. What do they think of our news. Why are our non-viewers watching the other guys? What are they doing right that we're doing wrong? Where are we scoring big positives? Do they love our weather girl? Great, she's in every tease from here until forever. Do they love our investigative reporting? I-Team... you need to have an exclusive 3 times a week! Do they hate our sports guy? They do? He's fired! And I'm not even kidding. To TV stations, these surveys are as serious as a heart attack.

When I worked in promotions the surveys were even more important. Do viewers identify with our “brand”. Do they see us as the station to turn to during breaking news? Do they see us as a leaders in the community? Do they respect us? Do they turn to our station during severe weather? And when the answers don't go our way, then there is a very serious discussion about whether a “personality” is the issue. And yes, I have been in the room when they've talked about letting someone go. I've also been told on more than one occasion to take someone out of a promo... or not feature someone in a promo... despite the fact that they still work there. When you get that message... you know... they won't be working there much longer.

Anyway... now I'm just a viewer.

And I got the phone call.

My turn to answer the questions.

This survey focused on local newscasts between 6 and 6:30pm. So they're obviously “polling the 6” (as we would say).

It just so happens that I do watch the 6pm news about 3 times a week.

And I almost always watch channel 9.

Sometimes though I watch channel 6.

But 9 times out of 10... it's channel 9.

I never... repeat... NEVER watch channel 3 (the CBS station here).

I've never watched CBS and I don't think I ever will.

I got questions about both newscasts... as well as both stations' promo campaigns.

And I got the dreaded question.

They asked me my opinion of a certain tv personality.

But I had no idea who he was.

NO idea.

The name didn't even sort of ring a bell.

So I had to tell them.
I hope he doesn't lose his job.

I answered honestly... trying to figure out who solicited the polling the whole time. I'm still not sure. I suspect it might have been channel 9 based on some of the questions about the promotional campaigns. They focused a lot on whether having the word “Carolina” in their promotional campaigns made me think that the station does a good job at “covering the carolinas”. Um. No. Just because they say the word Carolina does not mean that they do a good job of telling me news from around “Carolina.”

So... I guess one of the stations in town has a new consultant. I know the dread that the producers and promotions department must feel.

Honestly... it's a no win situation. TV news viewing is a habit. I am in the habit of watching the FIRST story of the 11pm news on channel 6. If it's not interesting... I switch th channel 9 and see their first story. If it's not interesting... I put on “The Simpsons.” I don't stick around. I know that weather comes on at 20 minutes past the hour. I also know I can see the weather on “the 8s” on The Weather Channel.... and on the 1s on the local Time Warner Cable station. I watch the news most loyally when there's bad weather. Yep... I'm that viewer now. What a relief!