Saying that ratings shouldn't be all end of all of productions is like saying we should just ignore atoms in chemical reactions. Every rating point translates into thousands maybe millions of dollars of income. Executives don't have to worry just about content, there's other mundane things too, like the cost of electricity, equipment maintenance, payrolls, insurance, etc. Like it or not, and people clearly don't like it, but those rating points are the fuel that drives the rest of the business. Executives aren't fools and they aren't going to throw away millions of dollars to appease a few cranky people. Learn it, live it, love it.