Lately, when cable networks are sending out press releases about the ratings for their primetime shows, they are touting the "combined viewers" or "combined ratings" versus just the original airing. For example, the season premiere of BREAKING BAD was promoted as having a total audience of 3.1 million viewers, with repeat airings at 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. factored in.It would be nice if ABC did this with their daytime soaps. The shows repeat on SOAPnet in primetime as well as overnight. Instead of weekly releases about the daytime soaps and separate quarterly releases from SOAPnet, a weekly combined viewer total audience number would be nice. Unlike DAYS OF OUR LIVES or THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, which air on SOAPnet but on non-ABC networks in the daytime, Disney/ABC own their soaps so it seems like the best message to put out would be total audience number. Saying GENERAL HOSPITAL has 3.5 to 4 million viewers would sound a lot better than 2.8 million. What do you think?
DAYTIME SOAP OPERAS
