Entertainment newsmagazines like “Entertainment Tonight” live or die on big celebrity news stories, and the deaths of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson on June 25 were easily the year’s biggest stories.
No surprise then that most of the newsmagazines posted big week-to-week ratings increases for the week ending June 28, with their biggest surges on the Thursday the two stars died and the following day.
But there was one curious exception, “TMZ.” The TMZ web site, TMZ.com, broke the news of Jackson’s death, yet the TV show actually saw a dip in viewers that week
"TMZ" had a 1.8 household rating, down 5 percent from the prior week, according to Nielsen ratings released yesterday.
By comparison, “Entertainment Tonight” was up 14 percent, to a 4 rating. “Inside Edition” was up 8 percent, to a 2.7, and “Access Hollywood” was up 6 percent, to a 1.9 rating. “The Insider” was up 20 percent, to a 1.8 household rating, tied with “TMZ.” “Extra” was up 14 percent, to a 1.6 rating for the week.
So why if TMZ.com broke the story of Jackson's death did the "TMZ" show see a decline in viewers?
Good question, and without any real sure answers.
But here are a couple of likely reasons.
For one, the show and the web site are two entirely different entities.
The site is in the business of breaking celebrity news, and it excels at it, as we see over and over, and most recently in reporting the death of Jackson way ahead of everyone else.
By contrast, the show is mostly a showcase for airing amusing paparazzi footage of stars often at not their best moments. Its sheer snarkiness makes it a big draw among younger viewers, which explains why it is No. 1 in 18-34s.
But that's not the sort of show that's going to see a big kick in viewership when stars of Jackson’s and Fawcett's ranking die.
Serious fans, and presumably everyone else, will turn first to the long-established shows like “Entertainment Tonight," knowing that they'll get all the breaking news but, no less important, respectful coverage.
Unlike "TMZ," these shows have a long history of treating Hollywood's elite with respectful awe. And that's even more so in death.
***
In daypart ratings for the week ended June 28, ABC’s “Nightline” led the week with 3.9 million total viewers, boosted by the Jackson story, followed by NBC’s “Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” with 3.7 million and CBS’s “The Late Show with David Letterman” with 3.2 million. In late late night, NBC’s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” drew 1.8 million viewers, with CBS’s “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” at 1.6 million, ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” bringing in 1.4 million and NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly” 900,000. Among 18-49s, “Tonight Show” averaged a 1.4 rating, followed by “Nightline” at 1.0 and “Late Show” at 0.8. In late late night, “Late Night” averaged a 0.7 rating, with “Kimmel,” “Late Late Show” and “Last Call” all at 0.4 (with a Monday rerun for “Last Call” and Monday and Wednesday encores for “Kimmel”).
NBC’s “Meet the Press” was the most-watched Sunday morning show on June 28 with 2.75 million tuning in, followed by CBS’s “Face the Nation” with 2.48 million viewers, ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” with 2.35 million and Fox “News Sunday” with 1.05 million. Among the 25-54 demographic, NBC averaged a 1.1 rating followed by CBS and ABC at 0.6 and Fox at 0.3.
In morning shows, NBC’s “Today” was first for the week with 5.5 million total viewers, followed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” with 4.3 million and CBS’s “Early Show” with 2.7 million. “Today” averaged a 4.1 household rating and a 15 share, followed by “Good Morning America” at 3.2/12 and “Early Show” at 2.1/7.
In evening network news for the week ended July 5, NBC’s “Nightly News with Brian Williams” was first with 8.34 million total viewers and a 2.1 rating among adults 25-54. ABC’s “World News with Charles Gibson” averaged 7.15 million viewers and a 1.6 rating, followed by CBS’s “Evening News with Katie Couric” with 5.69 million and a 1.3 rating.
Note: The most recent daytime and syndicated ratings were not available at press time.
|
LATE-NIGHT RATINGS
Week Ending June 28, 2009
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
People 2+ |
Adults 18-49 |
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Rtg% |
|
Nightline
|
ABC |
3.9 |
1.0 |
|
Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien |
NBC |
3.7 |
1.4 |
|
Late Show with David Letterman |
CBS |
3.5 |
0.8 |
|
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon |
NBC |
1.8 |
0.7 |
|
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson |
CBS |
1.6 |
0.4 |
|
Jimmy Kimmel Live* |
ABC |
1.4 |
0.4 |
|
Last Call with
Carson Daly* |
NBC |
0.9 |
0.4 |
|
* Monday's "Last Call" and "Kimmel" telecasts were encores.
Source: NTI |
|
MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week Ending June 28, 2009
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Today
|
NBC |
4.1 |
15 |
5.5 |
|
Good Morning
America
|
ABC |
3.2 |
12 |
4.3 |
|
Early Show
|
CBS |
2.1 |
7 |
2.7 |
|
Source: NTI
|
|
DAYTIME RATINGS
Week Ending June 21, 2009
Five-day averages |
|
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Women 18-49 |
|
Network |
(millions) |
Rtg% |
|
CBS
|
3.23 |
0.9 |
|
ABC
|
2.72 |
1.1 |
|
NBC
|
2.59 |
1.1 |
|
Source: NTI
|
|
EVENING NETWORK NEWS RATINGS
Week Ending July 5, 2009
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
25-54s |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams
|
NBC |
2.1 |
8.342 |
|
ABC World News with Charles Gibson
|
ABC |
1.6 |
7.150 |
|
CBS Evening News with Katie Couric
|
CBS |
1.3 |
5.691 |
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research
|
|
SYNDICATION
Ranked on Households
Week Ending June 21, 2009 |
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Syndicator |
Households |
|
US
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE
|
CTD
|
5.6
|
6385
|
|
2
|
JEOPARDY
|
CTD
|
4.8
|
5512
|
|
3
|
OPRAH WINFREY SHOW
|
CTD
|
3.9
|
4423
|
|
4
|
JUDGE JUDY (AT)
|
CTD
|
3.8
|
4322
|
|
4
|
TWO-HALF MEN-SYN (AT)
|
WB
|
3.8
|
4405
|
|
6
|
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT(AT)
|
CTD
|
3.5
|
4029
|
|
7
|
FAMILY GUY-MF-SYN (AT)
|
2/T
|
3.4
|
3946
|
|
8
|
CSI NEW YORK-SYN(AT)
|
CTD
|
3.0
|
3426
|
|
8
|
GEORGE LOPEZ (AT)
|
WB
|
3.0
|
3429
|
|
10
|
LAW & ORDER:SVU-SYN (AT)
|
NBU
|
2.8
|
3204
|
|
10
|
SEINFELD (AT)
|
SPT
|
2.8
|
3260
|
|
12
|
DR. PHIL SHOW (AT)
|
CTD
|
2.7
|
3073
|
|
13
|
EVRY LVS RAYMOND-SYN(AT)
|
CTD
|
2.5
|
2912
|
|
13
|
INSIDE EDITION (AT)
|
CTD
|
2.5
|
2861
|
|
13
|
KING OF THE HILL-SYN(AT)
|
2/T
|
2.5
|
2884
|
|
16
|
LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY
|
DAD
|
2.3
|
2602
|
|
16
|
GEORGE LOPEZ WKND B (AT)
|
WB
|
2.3
|
2628
|
|
16
|
BUENA VISTA
VI
|
DAD
|
2.3
|
2617
|
|
19
|
MILLIONAIRE (AT)
|
DAD
|
2.2
|
2520
|
|
19
|
SEINFELD-WKND (AT)
|
SPT
|
2.2
|
2575
|
|
21
|
TWO-HALF MEN WKND B (AT)
|
WB
|
2.1
|
2424
|
|
21
|
KING OF QUEENS-SYN (AT)
|
SPT
|
2.1
|
2395
|
|
21
|
CSI MIAMI-SYN (AT)
|
CTD
|
2.1
|
2349
|
|
24
|
FRIENDS (AT)
|
WB
|
2.0
|
2342
|
|
24
|
JUDGE JOE BROWN (AT)
|
CTD
|
2.0
|
2244
|
|
24
|
HOUSE OF PAYNE MF-SYN(AT)
|
2/T
|
2.0
|
2244
|
|
24
|
GEORGE LOPEZ WKND A (AT)
|
WB
|
2.0
|
2247
|
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research
|
