Brian Williams And The NBC Nightly News Producers Fudge The Numbers--Again

Here's something interesting for NBC Nightly News viewers: Brian Williams was off Friday, Dec. 20.  He returned to anchor Nightly News on Monday, Dec. 23, and then took off Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  That seems odd.  Why would he take Friday off, return for just one day and then take the next four days off?  If not for Monday, he could have had a vacation of ten consecutive days (or more, depending on his schedule for New Year's week).  Well, remember that nothing at Nightly News happens randomly or by accident.  There was a very specific reason why Brian anchored the broadcast for only one day this past week.  And, not surprisingly, it has to do with ratings.  On those weekdays when Brian is off and someone else anchors the broadcast, the ratings are always lower than on the days when Brian anchors.  So on those days when Brian isn't anchoring (and he and his producers know the ratings will be lower), they submit Nightly News to the Nielsen ratings company intentionally misspelled as "Nitely News".  When that happens, Nielsen counts the lower-rated "Nitely News" shows in a separate category from the correctly-spelled Nightly News broadcasts, and thus they don't detract from the higher Nightly News ratings.  For example, let's say Monday's Nightly News broadcast anchored by Brian earned a 7.5 rating.  And let's say the other four broadcasts (with a substitute anchor) averaged a 6 rating.  The actual average Nightly News rating for the week would be a 6.3.  But because Brian and his producers submitted the Tuesday through Friday broadcasts misspelled as "Nitely News", they are not counted in the same category as Nightly News.  So Brian and his producers can claim that Nightly News actually had a 7.5 rating for the week--even though that number is deceptively based on just a single broadcast.  That's why Brian made sure to anchor one broadcast this past week.  Whatever rating Brian achieved on Monday will be considered the Nightly News rating for the entire Christmas week, since the other four (lower-rated) broadcasts were submitted to Nielsen with a different spelling.  And with a higher weekly rating, NBC can charge higher ad rates.  It's fudging the numbers and playing the system.  Another way to describe it: Cheating.  It's like giving a false name to the police so they won't know you have outstanding warrants under your real name.  This sleazy practice of intentionally misspelling Nightly News as "Nitely News" has been going on for years with the full blessing of Brian and former NBC News President Steve Capus.  And apparently, new NBC News president Deborah Turness has also signed off on this unethical practice.  This is the type of organization the NBC executives preside over.  Their main concern is high ratings--rather than delivering news--since that allows NBC to charge higher ad rates.  And let's face it--earning higher ad rates is what matters most to the NBC executives.  So Merry Christmas from all the highfalutin lowlifes at NBC News!