Welcome to Season 1 of the DSSCG, a game created by Nine-Nine that is dedicated to TV ratings predictions and the scheduling of a set of your very own programmes.
How to play:
Every week, you must make both a main schedule and a back-up schedule each containing five or more programmes that fit into the 7pm, 8pm, 9pm and 10pm timeslots for a certain day of the week. You cannot schedule for the same day in either main or back-up schedules two weeks running.
The programmes you choose must:[LIST][*]All air on the day you are making a schedule for. [*]Air in the timeslots provided. Note: if a programme you scheduled starts at 10pm and doesn't finish until 12am for example, then it will still count as it started in one of the specified timeslots. What you cannot do is schedule a programme out of the designated timeslots.[*]Be from at least three different channels.[*]Be in its original timeslot as it would be on screen in that week.[*]Include a minimum of one soap opera.[/LIST]
Example schedule:
Scheduling for a Friday (16th August, 2013);
19:00 The One Show (BBC One)
19:30 Nigel Slater's Dish of the Day (BBC One)
20:00 The Burrowers: Animals Underground (BBC Two)
21:00 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown (Channel 4)
22:00 Live At The Apollo (BBC Three)
22:30 EastEnders (BBC Three)
Scoring:
Both your main schedule and back-up schedule will be judged separately on their average audience across the five or more programmes you have used to fill them and scored like so;
[LIST][*]0 points - Your schedule had an average audience of 1.4m or less.[*]1 points - Your schedule had an average audience of 1.5m to 2.0m.[*]2 points - Your schedule had an average audience of 2.1m to 2.6m.[*]3 points - Your schedule had an average audience of 2.7m to 3.2m.[*]4 points - Your schedule had an average audience of 3.3m to 3.8m.[*]5 points - Your schedule had an average audience of 3.9m to 4.4m.[*]6 points - Your schedule had an average audience of 4.5m to 5.0m.[*]7 points - Your schedule had an average audience of 5.1m to 5.6m.[*]8 points - Your schedule had an average audience of 5.7m to 6.2m.[*]9 points - Your schedule had an average audience of 6.3m to 6.8m.[*]10 points - Your schedule had an average audience of 6.9m or above.[/LIST]
Backup scheduling:
Along with your main schedule, you must also produce a back-up schedule. Back-up programmes from your back-up schedules are used in the event of one of your main scheduled programming not being shown, changed signficantly from its original timeslot or if its ratings are not reported in the media. In the event one of your back-up programming is used in your main schedule, it will still continue to form the average ratings data for your back-up schedule too. Back-up scheduled programming also serve as a decider in tiebreak situations, so backup schedules are still important and your overall score including back-ups will be monitored throughout the season.
Leaderboards:
At the end of each week, a series of leaderboards will be posted to show how everyone performed. One based on points scored during that particular week, another for total points across the season, and another based on weekly average. At the end of the season, there will be final leaderboards for weekly average and overall points scored during season 1.
Common questions:
Does it matter if I miss a week?
No! You can still participate in the weekly games and monitor your performance on the weekly average table where you could still be a high performer.
What ratings sources do you use?
We attempt to use tape-checked ratings from media websites such as Digital Spy. This means if a programme starts a couple of minutes late or finishes a couple of minutes early, this will be taken into account, helping to give a more accurate picture of a programme's performance. However, due to the sporadic nature of ratings reporting we also use a number of other sources, some of which do not use time checked figures.
What happens if one of my main scheduled programmes overruns?
For everything except live sporting / event programmes, a backup rating from your backup schedule will be used in the event of a programme in your main schedule overrunning by more than 20 minutes. Likewise, if a programme starts at least 20 minutes later/finishes 20 minutes earlier than the advertised time, it will become void and a backup rating from your backup schedule will be used instead. In all other cases, the original predictions will still count regardless. With sporting events try to factor in the possibility of coverage overrunning when making your schedules.
Is high definition viewing counted?
Yes, the figures we use will include HD wherever possible.
Do you take +1 channel figures into account?
No, +1 figures are not counted unless specified.
Rules
- Please try to submit both your main schedule and your back-up schedule by the deadline specified. Late entries will be accepted, but you'll be penalised accordingly.
- Please do not attempt to cheat by copying other people's schedules. Enter into the spirit of the game by making sure the schedules you make are entirely your own.
- Please ensure you submit both of your schedules in private if necessary. Occasionally you'll be asked to submit your schedules privately via private message instead of publicly on the thread. Make sure you do not post your schedules on the thread during these weeks or your schedules will not count.
How to play:
Every week, you must make both a main schedule and a back-up schedule each containing five or more programmes that fit into the 7pm, 8pm, 9pm and 10pm timeslots for a certain day of the week. You cannot schedule for the same day in either main or back-up schedules two weeks running.
The programmes you choose must:[LIST][*]All air on the day you are making a schedule for. [*]Air in the timeslots provided. Note: if a programme you scheduled starts at 10pm and doesn't finish until 12am for example, then it will still count as it started in one of the specified timeslots. What you cannot do is schedule a programme out of the designated timeslots.[*]Be from at least three different channels.[*]Be in its original timeslot as it would be on screen in that week.[*]Include a minimum of one soap opera.[/LIST]
Example schedule:
Scheduling for a Friday (16th August, 2013);
19:00 The One Show (BBC One)
19:30 Nigel Slater's Dish of the Day (BBC One)
20:00 The Burrowers: Animals Underground (BBC Two)
21:00 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown (Channel 4)
22:00 Live At The Apollo (BBC Three)
22:30 EastEnders (BBC Three)
Scoring:
Both your main schedule and back-up schedule will be judged separately on their average audience across the five or more programmes you have used to fill them and scored like so;
[LIST][*]0 points - Your schedule had an average audience of 1.4m or less.[*]1 points - Your schedule had an average audience of 1.5m to 2.0m.[*]2 points - Your schedule had an average audience of 2.1m to 2.6m.[*]3 points - Your schedule had an average audience of 2.7m to 3.2m.[*]4 points - Your schedule had an average audience of 3.3m to 3.8m.[*]5 points - Your schedule had an average audience of 3.9m to 4.4m.[*]6 points - Your schedule had an average audience of 4.5m to 5.0m.[*]7 points - Your schedule had an average audience of 5.1m to 5.6m.[*]8 points - Your schedule had an average audience of 5.7m to 6.2m.[*]9 points - Your schedule had an average audience of 6.3m to 6.8m.[*]10 points - Your schedule had an average audience of 6.9m or above.[/LIST]
Backup scheduling:
Along with your main schedule, you must also produce a back-up schedule. Back-up programmes from your back-up schedules are used in the event of one of your main scheduled programming not being shown, changed signficantly from its original timeslot or if its ratings are not reported in the media. In the event one of your back-up programming is used in your main schedule, it will still continue to form the average ratings data for your back-up schedule too. Back-up scheduled programming also serve as a decider in tiebreak situations, so backup schedules are still important and your overall score including back-ups will be monitored throughout the season.
Leaderboards:
At the end of each week, a series of leaderboards will be posted to show how everyone performed. One based on points scored during that particular week, another for total points across the season, and another based on weekly average. At the end of the season, there will be final leaderboards for weekly average and overall points scored during season 1.
Common questions:
Does it matter if I miss a week?
No! You can still participate in the weekly games and monitor your performance on the weekly average table where you could still be a high performer.
What ratings sources do you use?
We attempt to use tape-checked ratings from media websites such as Digital Spy. This means if a programme starts a couple of minutes late or finishes a couple of minutes early, this will be taken into account, helping to give a more accurate picture of a programme's performance. However, due to the sporadic nature of ratings reporting we also use a number of other sources, some of which do not use time checked figures.
What happens if one of my main scheduled programmes overruns?
For everything except live sporting / event programmes, a backup rating from your backup schedule will be used in the event of a programme in your main schedule overrunning by more than 20 minutes. Likewise, if a programme starts at least 20 minutes later/finishes 20 minutes earlier than the advertised time, it will become void and a backup rating from your backup schedule will be used instead. In all other cases, the original predictions will still count regardless. With sporting events try to factor in the possibility of coverage overrunning when making your schedules.
Is high definition viewing counted?
Yes, the figures we use will include HD wherever possible.
Do you take +1 channel figures into account?
No, +1 figures are not counted unless specified.
Rules
- Please try to submit both your main schedule and your back-up schedule by the deadline specified. Late entries will be accepted, but you'll be penalised accordingly.
- Please do not attempt to cheat by copying other people's schedules. Enter into the spirit of the game by making sure the schedules you make are entirely your own.
- Please ensure you submit both of your schedules in private if necessary. Occasionally you'll be asked to submit your schedules privately via private message instead of publicly on the thread. Make sure you do not post your schedules on the thread during these weeks or your schedules will not count.
) will notice above that you need to either make an alternation to your schedule or complete a back-up schedule by the deadline. 
