I think it has to do less with real PROGRAM RATINGS than with how many folks are staring at the COMMERCIALS careening by their eyes in real time while sitting in front of the boob tube.
See, if you tape a show, you can skip the ads. If you're in a hotel room, what you see may never affect your shopping habits. It isn't about the shows; it's about the money the advertisers have invested.
So, a good show, like this season's Enterprise, will get overlooked while some other "hotter" (steamier, profaner, gorier) show will be proclaimed "Best Show in America" and if you're one of those who like to listen to those who tell you what to believe, then you'll believe it, too!
To me, Enterprise this season has been AN EXCELLENT PROGRAM. But seeing the renewal history of many good shows over the many years, I think we all know that its quality has much less to do with its continuation than we'd like.