Appreciation Index: Difference between revisions

The '''AI''' or '''Appreciation Index''' is a statistical representation of the amount of enjoyment the audience derived from a particular episode of television. Since ''[[Rose (TV story)|Rose]]'', it has been the method for measuring the tastes of the audience. Different methods were used during the 1963 version of the programme, and so BBC Wales AI scores are not compatible with audience research numbers given in the past, known until around [[1981 (production)|1981]] as the '''Reaction Index'''.  

A 21st century AI score is calculated using a small but representative group of viewers. This sample will watch a program and then rate the program on a scale of one to ten. The scores are then averaged and multiplied by ten. Hence, an AI of 67 means that 6.7 was the simple mean of all responses. Scores of 85 or better are rare, and thus considered "excellent". Scores below 60 are considered "poor". Scores for every episode of the [[BBC Wales]] version of the program — save ''[[The End of the World (TV story)|The End of the World]]'' and ''[[Love & Monsters]]'' — have been 80 or above. Every story from ''[[Smith and Jones]]'' to ''[[Victory of the Daleks]]'' scored at least an 85 — a three-year run of the programme's most consistent and highest AI performances. The highest-ever AI for a ''Doctor Who'' episode was a 91, received by both ''[[The Stolen Earth]]'' and ''[[Journey's End]]''.

Determining "appreciation" was the original method for registering the success or failure of radio and television programs in [[Britain]]. It has been employed by the [[BBC]], in some form, since 1936. With the advent of commercial television, however, advertisers wanted to know ''how many'' people were watching. Ratings — a measure of the raw number of viewers in front of television sets — supplanted the AI as the primary measure of televised success. However, as the BBC is not a commercial enterprise, the AI still retains importance in determining the fate of television programs on the networks of the BBC.  

Audience research was done differently in the past. Until [[1981 (production)|1981]], the BBC performed their own internal research. It was carried out by the Audience Research Department, a fairly large branch of the BBC that had numerous field workers who actually went out into the country to personally question viewers and/or collect written surveys.<ref name=R9>[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/onlinelists/GB%200898%20R9.pdf "Series Level Description. Audience Research." R9/1-2,182. BBC Written Archives Centre.]</ref>

At least initially, reactions were measured with small samples of around 1000 people. [[An Unearthly Child (episode)|The first episode]]'s RI was calculated from a tiny 124 sample size, because only 12% of the ''full'' sample of about 1030 — called a "Viewing Panel" in internal documents — watched ''Doctor Who'' on [[23 November (releases)|23 November]] [[1963 (releases)|1963]]. They gave it a mark from a five-point scale, as follows:

== BARB Era ==

For the balance of the so-called "classic series", it was moved to a non-profit organisation called the {{W|Broadcasters' Audience Research Board}} or BARB, which was funded by all broadcasters.<ref name=R9 /> During this time, respondents were asked to record a number between 0 and 6 for each programme they watched, with the following meanings<ref name=MRM>Gunter, Barrie. ''Media Research Methods: Measuring Audiences, Reaction and Impact.'' SAGE. 2000.</ref>:

BARB continued calculating AIs as late as 2012. For most episodes of the BBC Wales era until 2012, the AI reported is that produced by BARB. However, since 2005, the BBC also received a second, separately-calculated AI score from {{w|GfK NOP}}, a separate organisation that used online surveys. When BARB bowed out, GFK, and its online "Pulse" panel took over entirely.

== GfK Era ==

Since 2012, ''Doctor Who'' AIs have been exclusive collected from a large online sample of some 20,000 individuals responding to an online survey. Accroding to this measurement, 81 is the average [[BBC One]] AI. The basic response system is the same ten point scale as BARB used, meaning that an AI of 81 corresponds to an average respondent score of 8.1.

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