The Sweeps Are Coming!

[PublicRef2 <norwood@mln.lib.ma.us>]

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Have you noticed that TV news stations here, there and everywhere have
spent the last week or so promoting a special feature for their 6 or 11
P.M. newscast this Thursday night (February 3rd).

There is a reason for it:

Let The Sweeps Begin!

Hopefully, the industry and the ratings companies will find some way of
extending the length of the TV ratings sweeps so that we won't have to
see the best specials and movies of the year go up against each other,
nor seeing fluffy pieces of high-concept storytelling disguised as
"must-see" special segments on the local TV news designed with the sole
purpose of boosting ratings.

I'll have to admit that even I am not immune to this "sweeps madness". I
current host and produce a music/variety show (I myself just emcee it--I
don't sing; we have a female vocalist and a keyboard player/accompanist
who perform the musical numbers) that has been running on the local
cable-
access channel here in Norwood, Massachusetts for the last 18 months.
One of the programs in my show set to run during the February sweeps
will be a salute to Tony Bennett, and we did two shows as a tribute to
Frank Sinatra in the fall of '98--airing during the November '98 sweeps.
Were it not for "sweeps madness", these shows would still be done--but
would run at different times of the year.

Joseph Gallant
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