How did it change?

Plus, what made ratings slip first in 1988, then more acutely in 1995 and even more since 2001? What happened respectively in those years? Anyone?

Ratings point change: It takes more viewers to make 1 point. This means that a 5.0 in 1996 would be less than a 5.0 in 2006 (even if having the same number of viewers). I don't know the exact figures, but let's say 500,000 viewers equaled 1 point in 1996, but 1,000,000 viewers equaled 1 point in 2006. I think the changes are because of the number of TV sets people have going up. Hopefully someone can explain it more articulately than me.

1988 was the year of the writer's strike.

Edited December 17, 200618 yr by Jude

Along with the OJ trial, the Oliver North hearings. I don't remember the year. The Oliver North hearings were in the summer, which are when teens typically watch soaps. This was before the all news channels, at least in my area. I know it also had a negative impact on soaps.

it was 1987 when that happen because when i was 8 and staying over my grandmother's during the daytime in the summertime at the time.

In 1980 it was a combination of the following factors:

1.Days of Our Lives, that year, was apparently really bad. As bad as Langan, Higley and Reilly's second tenure were, what happened on Days in 1980 was equally damaging to the show. A number of longtime performers were let go and very few (if any) of the new characters created had any staying power at all.

2.The creation of AW spin-off Texas, which starred Beverlee McKinsey. McKinsey's move from AW to Texas caused AW's ratings to drop. Contrary to popular belief, AW's switch to 90 minutes in 1979 didn't cause the big ratings collapse- since AW's ratings were steady declining anyway, but was still NBC's highest-rated soap which it remained for most of the 90-minute run. After then, AW lost its position as NBC's highest-rated soap and never regained that.

3.The Doctors was moved into a new timeslot, effectively sealing its fate.

4.The fact that Days was in a bad state caused its ratings to drop first, and it soon affected the other NBC soaps. If you compare the 1979-80 and 1980-81 seasonal ratings (which can be viewed on this forum) you'll notice the big drop. However, both Days and AW made something of a miraculous recovery by 1984, even if nowhere near the levels they attained before 1980.

5.It also goes to show how the ratings and quality of one soap, can easily affect the ratings of all others around it. The success of AMC and GH in the late 70s had a knock-on effect on OLTL and Ryan's Hope, whilst B&B must be extremely grateful for being positioned between Y&R and ATWT. Until the early 90s, AW's ratings were easily affected by those of Days because of scheduling- and when Days' ratings surged suring 1983-84, it benefitted AW. When Days were in retreat by the early 90s, it also pulled AW's numbers down with it

I just wasn't NBC daytime,the whole network was struggling at the time.They were still recovering from the Supertrain flop because of the production costs and bad rating,the US boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics which cost NBC millions in ad revenue,etc.

Edited December 17, 200618 yr by opac99

Who wouldn't have loved to be a fly on the wall for that one?

I couldnt have been a fly. I'd have been too tempted to either say something, or back up Kenny in taking him out back...

I just wasn't NBC daytime,the whole network was struggling at the time.They were still recovering from the Supertrain flop because of the production costs and bad rating,the US boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics which cost NBC millions in ad revenue,etc.

Indeed it was but if we talk about networks generally, how much of that is still felt at NBC today? In the last 5 years or so, it seems their only truly strong point would be the Law & Order franchise and especially SVU. And SVU, my current favourite TV show, only serves to highlight what's gone wrong with Daytime- the air of unpredictability is gone from soaps, but still present on primetime shows like SVU (in particular).

But the main point was that the impact of NBCD's 1980 collapse is still felt to this very day because it would never be able to compete with CBSD and ABCD in the ratings race, even if the Days/AW/SB "Silver Age" of the 80s (ironically when Frons of all people was in charge) saw them nearly get it right.

Ratings point change: It takes more viewers to make 1 point. This means that a 5.0 in 1996 would be less than a 5.0 in 2006 (even if having the same number of viewers). I don't know the exact figures, but let's say 500,000 viewers equaled 1 point in 1996, but 1,000,000 viewers equaled 1 point in 2006. I think the changes are because of the number of TV sets people have going up. Hopefully someone can explain it more articulately than me.

1988 was the year of the writer's strike.

Anyway, the problem is that the change is pretty much irrelevant. Networks usually aren’t interested in the total viewers; much more important than that is the rating, which represents a percent of all households who watched a certain programme. Share is somewhat different and is a measure of competitive standing.

I like the sets of AMC

soaps prior to Y&R had their actors act infront of curtains, rather than build sets. That's something true of all soaps, none have really had a budget where they can go "look at my sets, arent they great!".

Plus, we know Y&R has always had lavish sets, and would always start scenes and episodes focused in on a piece of the set. Plus, I believe Y&R was the soap that used to have fresh flowers delivered each day that cost a significant amount of $$ before switching to fakes like the others use. Ether them or ATWT. So saying their background is secondary is untrue.

We can't forget Erica's abortion in 1970, unfortunately, MMT abolished it to write a convoluted story for her own benefit.

I think it was 1968 on OLTL when Carla Benari/Gray passed for white and fell in love with both a black and white man.

The premiere of Dark Shadows in 1966. It paved the way for the supernatural plots featured on other soaps like DAYS, GL, and Port Charles.

Without a doubt: 2006: Record low ratings, new lows in quality, decreased budgets & promotion.....the continuation of daytime's slow demise.....tick.....tock......tick.....tock

2007: The beginning of the end....(most likely)

The end has already begun.