[originaltext]M: Sue, how do you decide what time to show a program?W: Well, i

M: Sue, how do you decide what time to show a program?
W: Well, it depends on the program. We look for different types of programs for different times of the day. For example, at breakfast time, we show short news and interview program. People don’t watch for long in the morning, so everything must be very short.
M: And what happens later?
W: Well, we plan programs around what people are usually doing. We have to think about prime time.
M: Prime time--what’s that, exactly?
W: Prime time is the time when the largest number of people is watching TV. In this country, that’s from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Most people have come home from work and they’re relaxed.
M: And, what programs do you show then?
W: We usually show new TV series which most people like. You see, before 9 p.m., we try to show programs for everybody.
M: Oh, I see.
W: And we also need to think about the ratings.
M: Can you tell us about that?
W: Well, the ratings tell us how many people are watching each program.
M: Oh, how do you know that? You can’t ask everybody!
W: No, of course not. Well, most TV stations buy information from an audience research company. They ask a small number of people -- perhaps a few hundred-- to keep a record of what they watch. Then that gives them an idea of what everybody watches.
M: Are ratings very important?
W: Very important. Our television company is commercial. We make money by selling advertising  time. If our ratings are high, we can ask a higher price for advertising time. So we’re always trying to increase our ratings.
M: So in a way, the advertisers Control what you show on television.
W: Um, not directly, but in a way, yes.