RATINGS DON'T LIE... DO THEY?

I've made it clear that I'm not rooting for USA Network's The Starter Wife in the weekly ratings. So you can imagine my disappointment when I saw that the first installment did pretty well in the ratings... at least according to the folks over at Nielson ratings group (as reported by USA Today).

Then I did a web search for other reporting mechanisms, and found something, well... odd. When I compared the Nielson cable numbers (for prime-time cable) with the total (overall, all day-long) cable ratings, The Starter Wife doesn't even come into play. In fact, some of the numbers (for the same events, like the NBA playoffs) don't add up.

Much like the Billboard music tracking system, the TV ratings system has come under fire for problems with accuracy, and the perception of unfair business practices. But unlike Billboard, which now includes downloads and other forms of new-media influences, the Nielsens have only made minor changes, adding a couple of hundred new boxes (in college markets).

Either way, I'm not predicting good things for The Starter Wife, and not just because I don't like it. I spoke with a couple of people who watched the first installment, and neither one had anything good to say about it. One person even said they had no intention of watching the show again... I hate to say I told you so, but...