Television Viewer Declaration of Independence

This document is dedicated to the devoted and hardworking fans of Jericho as well as all those they’ve inspired to join the New American Media Revolution.

Television Viewer Declaration of Independence

When in the course of television viewing history, it becomes necessary for one group of television viewers to dissolve the bands which have connected them with traditional media outlets and traditional forms of audience measurement, common decency requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to this separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident:

All television programming is NOT created equal.

Television viewers are endowed by the creators of decent television shows with certain unalienable rights, that among these are:

Life Programs should not suffer under the constant threat of cancellation, especially when they have aired a minimal number of episodes. Television history is replete with programs that started off with low ratings, were kept on the air, and then ultimately became ratings powerhouses and unending sources of revenue.

Liberty Programs should be free of interference from outside influences such as special interest groups and focus groups. Programs should be allowed to develop as per the vision of those that brought them to life.

The Pursuit of Happiness Audiences should gain enjoyment from shows because the shows make a difference in their lives by illuminating and explaining the human condition as all good literature and performing arts have done throughout history. We don’t and/or shouldn’t find happiness in television shows that exploit (with or without their consent) real people by putting private lives on public display.

Every viewer should, can, and MUST be counted.
 

The Digital Media Age

In the digital media age, it is both unacceptable and ludicrous to rely on a “representative sample” of a few thousand households to determine (and worse, to shape) the viewing habits of hundreds of millions of people.

Statistics may not lie, but they can only tell the truth about what they actually measure. Since current television ratings only actually measure a miniscule portion of the viewing public, the rest is pure extrapolation.

Advertisers should not be paying for extrapolations, speculations, assumptions, hypotheses, or good old-fashioned-guesses. Television executives should not be making decisions based on any of the aforementioned.

We, therefore, the early adopters of the New American Media Revolution, do solemnly publish and declare that

we united viewers are, and of right out to be, free and independent thinkers;

we are absolved from all allegiance to antiquated methods of audience measurement;

we have full power to watch television programming across a multitude of media platforms as well as on the days and times we find most convenient.

We, the television viewing public, in order to

form a more perfect viewing experience,

establish justice in audience measurement techniques,

ensure that consumers’ voices are heard,

provide television industry executives with valuable feedback,

promote shows that are simultaneously thought-provoking and entertaining, and

secure the continued development, airing, and renewal of shows that have a meaningful impact on audiences,

do ordain and establish this Television Viewer Declaration of Independence in the name of viewers in favor of quality television everywhere.

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Please sign your name to the Declaration by leaving a comment in the comment section below.audience measurement, carol barbee, Jericho, jericho rangers, media, media revolution, nielsen, ratings, save jericho, television, television viewing, TV, TV rating, TV ratings, TV viewing

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