Manipulating Ratings

  The story about Oprah breaking the Nielsen ratings agency's rules reminded me of an old radio trick we used to use back in my New York Z-100 days
  The ratings agency for radio is called 'Arbitron'
  So around the time that the diaries were being distributed we would start up a contest giving away 'Armitron' wrist watches, done to hopefully 'help' the listener associate the station with the diary.
  Old school compared to what goes on these days I'm sure :-)