I'm sure there are many examples to be cited, especially in recent basic and pay cable history, but at the moment I can't recall another series in which a main character went as far as ruthless SAMCRO president Clay Morrow did in this week's jaw-dropping episode of FX's biker drama "Sons of Anarchy."

One of the most important issues regarding the rollout and eventually use of Set-Top-Box data for its various measurement uses and capabilities is privacy. Not only is privacy a legislative concern, it is also a consumer and public concern. As stated in the CIMM whitepaper, Set-Top-Box data needs privacy fail-safes that comply with government rules, are reasonably respectful of consumer privacy interests and that indemnify data originators. As we step into the realm of privacy concerns and solutions, let's start at the beginning: thinking about privacy at the onset of a venture and grappling with the very basics of viewer …

Tim Brooks is well known and respected in many areas of the media industry. Not only is he a leading researcher with a career in broadcast (CBS and NBC), agency (NW Ayer) and cable (Lifetime, USA Network), he is also deeply involved in music, especially early American music. His effort on behalf of lost early 20th-century African-American recordings has earned him a Grammy Award as well as the reputation as one of the leading voices in audio copyright. Tim is also a prolific author of seven books, including the reference book "The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable …

There's still a lot of nostalgia for the days when three or four broadcast networks produced virtually everything on television and functioned as the glue that held us together as a society. Because it seemed like everyone watched the Academy Awards, the World Series, The State of the Union address, "Happy Days" and "Dallas," TV was essentially the lingua franca for the average American. Looking back, in the transformation of television from a somewhat bland landscape of homogenized shows to the vibrant, if flawed, carnival of programming we have today, the launch of the premium network we once called Home …

Two big events played out on TV while I was in Israel last month. Many times, our perception of the ongoing conflict in Israel takes on a particular divisive view of how intractable the problem seems to be. Always the observer, television is often accused of fanning the flames. But I learned that sometimes you need to pound the pavement to get a real sense of the street.

With the success in recent years of such consistently smart situation comedies as ABC's "Modern Family" and "The Middle," CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" and NBC's "The Office" and "Community," I started to think that broadcast sitcoms might finally be getting beyond the frat humor and all-around crudeness that seeped into the genre in the '90s and all but overtook it during the last decade. But the early weeks of the 2011-12 television season have me thinking otherwise. Naughtiness is everywhere, especially in the form of talk about naughty bits.

In industry-standard media measurement, the generally accepted measurement increments can be in homes or persons. In the world of Set-Top-Box data, the measurement requires an additional increment which is the Box. Generally speaking, U.S. households have an average of 2+ set-top boxes but this can vary by operator and footprint. Here are the measurement terms associated with measurement at the Set-Top-Box level:

Michele Buslik, senior vice president, director of media research at TargetCast tcm, is one of the most knowledgeable researchers in the industry. She is very active in many industry committees and initiatives including the 4As Media Measurement Committee. In my interview with her, Michele talks about the future of the industry, set-top-box data measurement and the importance of full disclosure of data algorithms, the evolving role of research, accreditation and the challenge of "false rumors" that raise doubts about the accuracy of research data used in the industry today.

Every new television season comes with an unexpected development, but this fall's big surprise is a true stunner: Powered by the strength of ABC's "Revenge" and The CW's "Ringer," prime-time serials are enjoying a surge of renewed popularity. The healthy ratings for the premiere of ABC's fanciful "Once Upon a Time," the most unique (and most complex) serial to come along since "Lost," further clarify the desires of many television viewers for the kinds of ongoing stories in which they want to invest.

In the last couple of weeks we explored measurement terms that were common to both the current measurement marketplace and the STB and Addressable arenas. The advantages of STB data include the ability to create finer measurement metrics than average minute. Here are some examples of standard measurements that have been modified to reflect more granular STB language and measurement ability: