Cable television viewing statistics

A cable television method for a cable television network, comprising:

• sending a polling message to a modem forming a part of a television set top box from a cable television headend via a cable television cable connection to the set top box;
• wherein the polling message instructs the cable television set top box to report a currently tuned channel of the television set top box;
• receiving a response message from the cable television set top box transmitted by the modem and containing the currently tuned channel of the television set top box;
• compiling the currently tuned channel information from a plurality of set top boxes received in response messages to determine actual program viewing statistics for a television time slot during which the polling responses were sent;
• generating a report of program viewing statistics;
• and
• sending the report to a rating service.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on a programmed processor, carry out a cable television method for a cable television network, comprising:

• sending a polling message to a modem forming a part of a television set top box from a cable television headend via a cable television cable connection to the set top box;
• wherein the polling message instructs the cable television set top box to report a currently tuned channel of the television set top box;
• receiving a response message from the cable television set top box transmitted by the modem and containing the currently tuned channel of the television set top box;
• compiling the currently tuned channel information from a plurality of set top boxes received in response messages to determine actual program viewing statistics for a television time slot during which the polling responses were sent;
• generating a report of program viewing statistics;
• and
• sending the report to a rating service.