NBC Boston

[Scott Fybush]

The average viewer isn't us.

The average viewer is using a pay-TV service, be it Comcast/Xfinity, 
RCN, Verizon FiOS, Dish or Direct. That's 9 out of 10 viewers - minimum 
- in the Boston DMA.

NBC is on channel 10 for that average viewer. Maybe "810" if it's 
Xfinity for HD.

That average viewer doesn't know what "WBTS-LD" is, or "WYCN-CD," or 
"WNEU." She doesn't use an antenna and doesn't deal with "8.1" or "15.1" 
or "60.5."

She sees an ad for "NBC 10." She picks up the remote and presses "10." 
She gets NBC. If she's in the Boston DMA, she gets NBC Boston, and if 
she's a Nielsen household, her viewing counts. If she's in the 
Providence DMA and she sees an ad for "NBC 10," she picks up the remote, 
presses "10" and *still* gets NBC - only it's WJAR, and WJAR gets the 
ratings credit, and NBC still gets the network viewership.*

It's easy to overthink all of this. It actually took some pretty clever 
thinking on NBC's part (and the advantage of owning the Comcast cable 
systems and NECN) to find a channel number that they could use almost 
universally.

*The "worst case" scenario, and it's pretty unlikely, is that she uses 
an antenna, lives in the fraction of the Boston market that can see WJAR 
over the air, punches in "10," still gets NBC - but she's watching WJAR 
instead of WBTS *and* is a Nielsen household. I suppose that's 
*possible," but it feels like a long shot.

On 9/25/2018 3:50 PM, Don wrote:

> Confusing to me for sure.
> 
> However, I know where to find NBC programs on my system in my area.
> 
> I think that's the only thing that matters to most people...and it 
> appears most people have found it.
> 
> The explanation and markieting on where it can be found in different 
> areas is complex and noisy, but once your found it, and can return to it 
> on your own system, you are set.