How do tv networks know when people are watching their show on tv for statistics?

The broadcasting stations know how many people are recieving their channel, therefore knowing how many people watched the show that was on at that time.

That is simply not true - at least not for “Broadcast TV”. If you believe it to be true, please cite some source that explains the technology that enables a count to be made.

Sorry, your guess is wrong.

It is done by “Statistical Market Research” among a statistically significant number of viewers selected as forming a typical sample set of the potential viewing audience. . In the UK it is done by the Broadcasting Audience Research Board (BARB) that installs equipment (by mutual agreement) into 5,100 typically representative homes. The equipment monitors all TV reception methods in those homes.
. The percentage viewing figures ( on a per channel, per time, and per programme basis ) among the sample set, is used to extrapolate a statistical ESTIMATE of the whole audience. . http://funadvice.com/r/bjm7hj833c4 .

– Best wishes - Majikthise. .

There’s this thing called the Nielsen program where they have random people tell you all the shows they watch and how they liked them.

I was told by one of my local broadcasting stations exactly how they do it. They know by the satellite that tells them how many TVs are tuned into their station. :)

@Gabby - sorry, but either they gave you inaccurate information, or you misunderstood what they told you. There is NO way that a BROADCAST satellite can discern how many TV receivers are “passively” tuned to it. It is a different matter when looking at “pay per view” “on-demand” encrypted services - but they (by definition) are not BROADcast television. However, I would love for someone to prove me wrong by providing a link to (or citing a specific source of) reliable technical information that would allow a count to be made of the number of TV receivers tuned to broadcast to air transmissions whether they be terrestrial systems or satellite systems. It is simply not possible. Incidentally I am a professionally qualified communications engineer with nearly 30 years experience lecturing in the field at Higher Education level - so I am pretty sure I know what I am talking about.

You may know how it works in your country but how are you to know how others do it? No matter how much technical language you use, I know that’s how it is where I live. Sorry. :)

@Gabby - Forget your silly science fiction fantasies, I KNOW how electronic and microelectronic communication systems work ANYWHERE in the world. It does not matter whose country it is in. The people who design satellite communication systems cannot make their equipment detect the number of PASSIVE electrical / electronic systems are operating nor how many people are using them, whether they be digital watches or vacuum cleaners, or refrigerators or radio receivers , or television receivers. Nobody, neither communication satellite designers nor the companies that operate them, nor the computer systems installed in them can deduce how many passive television receivers are receiving their transmitted signals, nor how many people are watching them. They can tell how many ACTIVE electronic systems (that actually transmit information themselves - like mobile phones and on-line computers) are functional and capable of communicating with them and whether they are currently in use - those phones and computers transmit signals that idenitify themselves to the transceivers they are designed to operate with. Broadcast television receivers do not. You are not talking about classified military secret systems here it is readily available knowledge and information. I challenge you to supply any authentic technical information that shows information to the contrary. You will not be able to, nor will you be able to get the “local broadcasting company”, that you claim “explained it” to you, to confirm what you may think they told you. Go on prove me wrong - you can’t because I know and understand what I am talking about and you are just making things up because you believe that it must be possible somehow, but it is not - not even in the good old U S of A or the emerging Commonwealth realms like Australia. The best you will be able to supply is information regarding Narrowcast encrypted systems that actively communicate with the service providers and a restricted audience via data transmission systems including microwave link, cable and optical fibre communication. But such systems are not BROADCAST systems - which is what are used for the majority of TV reception, and what you specifically referred to.

Um, settle down… You actually took the time to write all that thinking I’d read it?? I still believe I know what I’m takling about and the more you reply and I reply back, the more points I get so keep going! :)

No I wrote it knowing that the other people will read it who are well acquainted with the reliability of my information and know that they can trust it rather than your deluded rubbish.