I never thought I would compose a blog that discusses television ratings, its importance, how it works, etc. Actually, this would be the type of blog that my good friend Mark Gavoor would write with interesting anecdotes while he professed sipping a cup of coffee and writing his imponderables as the sun began to rise. So to be true to my past blog writings…I wont get into an in-depth history on this topic.

However, in putting the Guardians of Music documentary together for a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) to air, you begin to understand the importance of such ratings as it pertains to viewership, funding and longevity of a project. The later is quite honestly what I hope to accomplish with the airing on March 16th.

Competition on television can be stiff on any given night. My wife Della will tell you that a major world event can alter plans in a blink of an eye or another station will have a much anticipated program on the air which takes viewers from you. Its cut throat for sure.

On Superbowl Sunday 2015, ratings went through the roof for NBC with over 114 million viewers. Guess what was rated #2 that same night and time slot? Downton Abbey, a PBS production with over 15 million viewers. Amazing and tracked by using Nielsen Ratings.

The Nielsen Ratings is an audience measurement system that was created by Arthur Nielson (a market analyst) in 1920. There are two ways that this measurement is gathered – viewer diaries and devices attached to a select group of television sets. This ratings system has always been an important system and tool to all forms of television and I dare to say it is responsible for successes and failures of some household shows over the years.

Detroit Public TV and other PBS stations use Nielsen and to be blunt – we need as many to watch Monday, March 16th 8-11pm as possible. The popularity of this premiere airing will set the tone for future broadcasts of this documentary.

Guardians of Music is a very important project that isn’t about making money..its about the recognition of an art form that I hope can be seen in other PBS markets around the country. Sure, its about Detroit Armenian musicians – but the content and significance is worth of being aired around the globe.

Please tune in on Monday night — you can watch ONLINE LIVE Guardians of Music starting at 9:30pm EST.