PUZZLE
I am in need of a high tech answer in low tech terms.
I would like to know by what devious method television executives in conference conclaves set apart, with necessary underlings in attendance, of course, arrive at their decisions concerning taking certain programs of the air while retaining others.
What specialized, possibly cybernetically formulated and controlled, form of mathematics is used in such situations? Certainly, it must be rather complex and other-worldly in its cognitive elements, since its conclusions are so often at extreme variance with established facts about such subject programs.
To be honest with you, I doubt if I would understand any detailed explanation of such a complex process - if there is one - so I'll narrow it down a bit to what I actually need to know.
What I wonder about is how in the world they cancel only shows I like and retain those I can't stand! How do they know what my favorites are so they can kill 'em?
By what devious means do they find out which shows my family and I, plus friends and their families, enjoy as favorites? How do they know we actually look forward to certain nights and specific times so we can sit down and enjoy a favorite show – be it a mystery, a comedy, and old movie we'd like to re-live, or some up-to-the moment news or commentary. We even welcome a new show now and then, always willing to give new talent and new ideas a fair chance.
Not only have they developed ways of knowing which shows we like best so they can put and end to them, but they replace them with tired copies of shows running at that particular time on competing networks.
It cannot be said that the major networks are the only offenders. Some other networks and independents do welcome re-runs of many of our favorites, but too often in a five-and- ten format: five minutes of the show and ten minutes of commercials. A favorite episode can last for hours!
I'm going into our living room in just a few moments, when I finish writing this page, where I plan to sit and watch some television until bed time. I wonder if I should have installed blackout curtains over the picture window to thwart any network from observing what I watch. Maybe I'd best check high and low for hidden cameras or microphones. I have feeling they'll find out what I watch in some unfathomable way.
How they do it, I don't know, but I'm told that everything we do evolves, sooner or later, into some form of math, so what better place to start?
A.L.M. October 13, 2002 [c456wds]
