Why Advertisers and Ratings Matter

From the Courier Journal
"Question: What TV show could be 98 in last season's rankings and still be one of the hottest series on the air?

Answer: "The O.C.," a soap opera about teens and parents living in Orange County, Calif., that returns for its junior season on Fox at 8 tonight.

How can a show be that low in the rankings and still get all the buzz it does?

Because young viewers can create louder buzz about a show than their more reserved elders. And because advertisers will often pay more to reach a young audience than they will for a much higher-rated program attracting people over 50, such as NBC's "The West Wing," which is 35th."