Oh, sure. You imagine your data to be clean, pristine, and digitally pure. But don’t kid yourself. Unless you’re working with an entertainment data specialist like FYI—100% totally focused, committed, and dedicated to entertainment data—you’ve probably got a few dirty little secrets in your data.
Consider these skeletons that could very well be rattling around in your digital closet:
Consider these skeletons that could very well be rattling around in your digital closet:
1. Duplicates, duplicates, duplicates, duplicates,
duplicates, duplicates-with the same underlying program ID. Or the same
programs and episodes with varying genre and category data points.
The last thing you need your TV data to be is an imposter.
The last thing you need your TV data to be is an imposter.
Differing records for the same program create a tornado of
confusion and inaccuracy. These dopplegangers turn proper scheduling or rights
verification into a nightmare even the bravest programming type will try hard
to avoid.
2. Generic names for sporting events and associated episodic
content.
NASCAR fans don’t want a generic race. Nor a generic event.
NASCAR fans don’t want a generic race. Nor a generic event.
So, plain old “Racing” ain’t gonna cut it. NASCAR Nationwide
Series? That’s more like it.
Sporting events have specific titles—in many cases branded
or sponsored—and fans know those events by their very specific names. Generic?
That might work for potato chips or peanut butter but when it comes to sports?
Generic is…too generic.
3. Missing episode titles for mainstream programs like The
Office, 30 Rock, The Amazing Race, CSI: Miami, Seinfeld, and Family Guy.
Believe it or not, your data might not even recognize some of the most-watched episodes on television.
Believe it or not, your data might not even recognize some of the most-watched episodes on television.
That’s because some databases—and you won’t hear these data
providers talking about it out loud in a brightly lit place—don’t have episode
titles for mainstream hit programs. A lack of an episode title causes huge
problems in DVR recording, space management, and a host of other problems.
Seriously, can you really even call it television
entertainment data if the data isn’t there?
4. “Repacks” and “Social Reloads” aren’t tracked as new
programs.
Another imposter type of data. Thrown in with the old episode and title, even though changes have been made to the program.
Another imposter type of data. Thrown in with the old episode and title, even though changes have been made to the program.
Whether additional footage, bonus content, popups, or a
Twitter feed, the original episode has been altered and repackaged in some
way—enough to earn a “new program” designation.
Sadly, this doesn’t happen sometimes and all that new,
exclusive content flies below the radar. With crosshairs on it.
5. Inaccurate start and end times for network programs.
Rounding things off might be a good idea if you’re calculating the size of a planet. Or figuring out the last digit in pi.
Rounding things off might be a good idea if you’re calculating the size of a planet. Or figuring out the last digit in pi.
But where it concerns the timing of network programs? Not a
good idea. Because people all over will be counting on those very specific
times to set their DVRs.
And, when you don’t have an accurate start and end time, you
don’t record the whole program as intended. Or you record the wrong program
altogether.
We all know nothing beats seeing the last 15 minutes of
something you didn’t want to see—followed by all but 15 minutes of the thing
you wanted to see in the first place.
Right?
PSSST. To get the next 10 dirty little secrets, let us know
who you are and we’ll get ‘em to you, stat.
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