Latenight ratings spin comes with an *.(TUNING IN)

Quarterly and monthly ratings represent an arbitrary benchmark, allowing us to monitor programs or channels that otherwise go by without much notice. It's an opportunity to check in on the morning shows, say, or for smaller cable networks to tout their "explosive" growth--often the statistical equivalent of improving from six regular viewers to seven.

The end of June, however, produced a rare flurry of pre-Fourth of July fireworks in latenight, triggering lofty "We're beating them" claims that surely sent sleepy research departments into a tizzy. And because consumer outlets are so ill-equipped to track ratings in a daypart where every shift comes with more asterisks than …