Where can I find the Nielsen television ratings?
TVWeek.com : Performance Tracker
TVWeek.com provides a weekly ratings chart in PDF format. You can track back about 1 year from this site.
USA Today
News & Microforms Library, Ground Floor West Pattee
USA Today publishes a Nielsen ratings chart in its Life section (Section D) each week. Titled "Prime-Time Nielsen Ratings", this chart does not appear on the same day each week, so you need to check each day's paper to find the weekly chart.
If you didn't pick up your copy of USA Today at a Newspaper Readership Program box, the News and Microforms Library (Ground Floor, West Pattee) keeps paper copies for about five weeks and has microfilm (Call number E415) for all older issues.
Databases containing the text of USA Today do not include the Nielsen ratings chart due to its format.
USAToday.com posts the current Nielsen ratings. Ratings for previous weeks are not available.
Broadcasting & Cable
Each weekly issue of the trade magazine Broadcasting & Cable contains the Nielsen ratings.
Available online in Communications & Mass Media Complete CMMC
On the main page for CMMC, click on the Publications button and browse to Broadcasting & Cable. On the right you will see a list of years from which you can start to find the date you need. When you find the issue you need, browse the articles to find the Nielsen Ratings, then choose PDF Full Text to view the Nielsen Ratings chart.
Alternatively, you may choose the Search within this publication link to narrow your search to the Nielsen Ratings. Type nielsen and ratings in separate search boxes to retrieve these charts. (Using Nielsen ratings as the search term in one box is not as efficient because the titles of the charts are listed as Nielsen [date range] Ratings and the search engine does a better job retrieving your desired result when the search terms are on separate lines).
Nielsen Media Research
Use the links provided in the box at the lower right of the screen to see the current "Top 10" television programs for different groups:
Zap2it.com
Each week's Nielsen Ratings are available at the Zap2it.com.
Click the "Weekly" tab to see the current available ratings.
Click the "Season" tab to see the "season-to-date" ratings for the current season only.
View ratings by total households or by total viewers.
Reference Desks
Social Sciences Library (Second Floor Paterno Library)
News & Microforms Library (Ground Floor West Pattee Library)
Please ask for research assistance at either the Social Sciences Library or the News & Microforms Library Reference Desks if you have any questions about or problems finding Nielsen Ratings.
(e-reference)