Today is WPLG General Manager Dave Boylan’s last day at the station. Boylan resigned from his position in August (or he was pushed out, depending on whom you talk to), after a little over 10 years at the station.
Boylan joined the board of Rentrak, the Nielsen ratings competitor that uses data from set-top boxes instead of relying on a small number randomly chosen people like Nielsen does. Under his leadership, WPLG was one of the first TV stations in South Florida to test Rentrak’s service a couple of years ago, and if I’m not mistaken the station now uses it full time in addition to Nielsen. Boylan told TVNewscheck that he’s going to work “on an issue of importance to every broadcaster — more accurate measurement.”
TV stations have complained for years about the accuracy of the Nielsen ratings service which relies on a limited number of households (about 700 in South Florida) to measure TV ratings. Just recently WSVN owner Ed Ansin sued Nielsen, unsuccessfully in federal court alleging the move to people meters from the previous diary method cost WSVN $ million per month in advertising.
Meanwhile Rentrak announced today Dave Boylan bought 3100 shares of company stock at $32.20 per share for a total of $99,820 and owns a total of 6759 shares. Analysts put the price target for Rentrak shares at $30 to $40.
One door closes and another one opens.
See Ya, Dave. You caved in to corporate garbage instead of standing behind good TV personalities and it backfired.
Don’t let that door hit ya, where the Good Lord split ya.
Except that standing behind the good TV personalities would have just accelerated his departure. If corporate wanted Trent and Scott moved, it’s going to happen regardless
This…
makes no difference anymore to all of us now that don’t watch news and weather on WPLG …. really sad is that I always put WPLG on in the background while I work and it included GMA — now I have found other/better stations