Do Stats. show what the viewers are watching or are they for the birds?

As you may know I am a big fan of CBC Newsworld. I have digital cable and other than CBC newsworld, I have selected many stations of interest to me. I assume somewhere there is a computer keeping track of what stations I am watching. This is where statistics can misrepresent what we are actually watching.
I have a pair of budgies, Gordon and Georgie. Georgie was not named after George, 'cause I know you are thinking that she was. Gordon was named Gordon long before that eagle was. Gordon was actually named after the Barenaked Ladies Album. My two birds like to be entertained while I am out. I leave the TV on all day for them. Most days I leave it on the Animal Planet channel. Some days I leave it on the CTV travel channel. Both stations have lots of bird noises. That's what my birds like.
On days I leave it on Newsworld my birds tell me off. Not enough bird noises on the news.
They do like to watch The Hour with me. They loved the eagle segments!! Gordon got all fluffed up when he thought George was naming an eagle after him. He also thinks George was named after his buddy Georgie. That's how birds think.
The birds would watch Newsworld more often if more birds were featured.
When I am home with the birds I get the choices.
I am happy with what Newsworld does feature. Other than The Hour I like, Au Courrant, The Sunday report, CBC News Morning, and the many Docs and series like The End.
How can the statistics reflect what the birds are watching or what I am watching or is it all the same to The Networks?

Barbara W.
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While Barbara W keeps her tv on to entertain her birds, I, on the other hand, very rarely turn the tv on before 9:00pm. Because that's when I watch The Hour.

My husband will turn on the tv for background noise, but I am more likely to turn to CBC radio for that, or a cd. He will generally park himself in front of the tv in the evening and I'll sometimes join him while I read the papers, but when he's not home, that baby stays blank until the magic hour.

So if statistics were being gathered for individual viewing habits, mine would be pretty consistent - The Hour, followed by something like the Simpsons or Futurama or Family Guy or the National, and then South Park. Throw in Rick Mercer's Monday Report on Tuesday, and Going Coastal on Sunday, and mini-series like the Tournament, and you've pretty much got the whole picture on me.

But then I am not the main tv viewer in the family.
Barbara B.
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Like Barb B., I myself am not much of a TV viewer. My idiotbox felt neglected before I subscribed to cable (I got it mostly for watching “The Hour” on CBC Newsworld, and the soccer games on TSN and Sportsnet). The background noise for me is music as well. My personal mantra is, “I’d rather listen to music than watch TV” (of course it is a different story when it comes to hockey and soccer games!) Television viewing, for me, is restricted to few shows that I am addicted to, although the regular and daily favorite is “The Hour”. If I get home early, I watch the show at 18:00 MST, otherwise I watch it at 21:00, and at times, I watch all the runs! I have a pretty fixed schedule, just like Barb B, I watch hour at 18:00, go to the gym after, and then watch any other show that I think is worth watching. Statistics on my viewing would be pretty consistent on watching George’s hour, and the rest would be pretty much inconsistent, and haphazard!

Jas B