The rec.arts.tv FAQL:

Last updated:  February 1, 2004.
This version:  8.00

Note: The date of the last update is the date of the last change to this section; lack of an update since then means that the contents of this particular section are still true or valid to the present day. This page will be updated with every new major update (i.e. version x.00) of this FAQL, however.

"Where can I find the list of the Nielsen Ratings on the net?"

Guess what? If you're looking for US Nielsen ratings you maybe can't... Or can you now?

Until recently, the NielsenMedia company hasn't let anybody publish the full list on the net for long before making them stop. For example, "USA Today" used to publish the full list, but now only publishes the Top 20 ranked shows (and I'm pretty sure NielsenMedia made them stop the online publication of the full ratings list). For a while, the FOX News website used to publish the full ratings list (search for "ratings"), but they don't appear to be doing it any longer either.

Two other sites that still appear to be publishing the full weekly ratings list online are:

• TV Week: http://www.tvweek.com/ (and click on "Ratings" in the left-hand column)
• The Futon Critic: http://www.thefutoncritic.com/ (scratch this one! - Nielsen sent The Futon Critic a "Cease & Desist" order about his ratings site; so no ratings info here until further notice...)

Several newspapers do publish the full ratings lists in their 'print' editions, however.

In addition, there are several sites that have been known to post the full Nielsen Ratings List in the past (though I suspect that most of these now only publish the Top 20 or Top 25 ratings now); two of these are:

• The Minneapolis-St. Paul Star-Tribune: http://www.startribune.com/
• The Contra Costa Times: http://www.bayarea.com/mld/cctimes/entertainment/television/

But, if you personally try to publish the Nielsen Ratings List on the net, expect to hear from Nielsen's lawyers.

Inexplicably, NielsenMedia doesn't put the list at their own site (http://www.nielsenmedia.com/). Go figure...

Also, check out the following:

1. Where can I find the Nielsen Ratings for syndicated/daytime/latenight/cable shows?
2. Where can I find the full list of the Nielsen Ratings in print?
3. How do ratings/Nielsens work?

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