Final answer:
A ratings point refers to one percent of all TV households in a particular area watching a specific program. It is essential for networks and advertisers to measure program reach and effectiveness. Ratings points are used in hypothesis testing to analyze TV distribution disparities among different populations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term you're asking about is a ratings point. A ratings point is defined as one percent of all the television households in a particular area tuned to a specific program. This metric is crucial for advertisers and networks as it helps to measure the popularity and reach of a television program.
These ratings points are an integral part of television advertising, as companies use these data to target demographics and maximize their advertising reach and effectiveness. In the context of hypothesis testing, as mentioned in the question, a researcher would compare observed frequencies to expected frequencies to determine if there's a significant difference between the television distribution in a specific regional population compared to the general population.
Regarding the taste test hypothetical, the appropriate distribution used to perform a hypothesis test would most likely be the binomial distribution since the outcome is dichotomous, preferring Brand A or not, and we have a fixed number of independent trials.