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Dayparts update
Dud debut for talker 'Wendy Williams'
By Kevin Downey
Jul 23, 2009 - 7:39:45 AM

There was reason to think “Wendy Williams” might well premiere to big ratings when it launched in syndication last week, certainly if distributor Debmar-Mercury’s description of its trial run last summer as a rousing success was to be believed.

Add on top of that a heap of pre-launch publicity that gave every impression that the show, from longtime New York radio host Williams, was on its way to being the next “Oprah Winfrey.”

As it turns out, the show is a dud.

"Williams” is pulling lower ratings than two far-less-hyped summer premieres, “Wedlock or Deadlock” and “Beyond Twisted.”

In its first week, “Wendy” averaged a 0.9 household rating and a 3 share in metered markets, an 18 percent dip from what its timeslots averaged last year and down 10 percent from its lead-in shows.

"Williams" did fairly well in New York, where the host is well known, pulling a 1.6/6, a 7 percent boost for the timeslot from a year-ago.

But it pulled sickly numbers, below a 1 rating, in 31 of 42 metered markets where it’s airing.

Making it all the worse, “Williams” is getting clobbered by two test-run shows airing in only a handful of markets, neither of which looks to be doing all that well.

“Wedlock,” a spinoff of “Divorce Court” that premiered on Monday, averaged a 1.3/4 in its first two days but slid markedly from day one to day two, averaging a 1.5/5 Monday but then a 1.1/3 Tuesday. Its timeslot average is down 28 percent from a year ago.

“Beyond Twisted” from “TMZ’s” Harvey Levin, which is a video clip show mostly airing in the evening and late night, averaged a 1.1/3 in its first two weeks, down 42 percent from last year’s timeslot average.

***

In daypart ratings for the week ended July 12, ABC’s “Nightline” led the week with 4.0 million total viewers, followed by CBS’s “The Late Show with David Letterman” with 3.7 million and NBC’s “Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” with 2.8 million. In late late night, CBS’s “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” averaged 1.6 million viewers, with NBC’s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” and ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” bringing in 1.3 million and NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly” at 0.8 million. Among 18-49s, “Tonight” averaged a 1.1 rating, followed by “Nightline” at 1.0 and “Late Show” at 0.8. In late late night, “Late Night” averaged a 0.5 with encore episodes, while “Kimmel” and “Late Late Show” each averaged a 0.4 and “Last Call” averaged a 0.3 (with encores for “Kimmel” and “Last Call).

NBC’s “Meet the Press” was the most-watched Sunday morning show on July 12 with 2.74 million tuning in, followed by ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” with 2.62 million viewers, CBS’s “Face the Nation” with 2.36 million and Fox “News Sunday” with 962,000. Among the 25-54 demographic, NBC and ABC each averaged a 0.7 rating, followed by CBS 0.5 and Fox at 0.3.

In morning shows, NBC’s “Today” was first for the week with 4.6 million total viewers, followed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” with 3.8 million and CBS’s “Early Show” with 2.4 million. “Today” averaged a 3.6 household rating and a 14 share, followed by “Good Morning America” at 2.9/11 and “Early Show” at 1.8/7.

In daytime, CBS was first with 3.33 million total viewers, ABC second with 2.72 million and NBC third with 2.68 million. Among women 18-49, NBC was first with a 1.2 rating, followed by ABC and CBS at 1.1.

In evening network news for the week ended July 19, NBC’s “Nightly News with Brian Williams” was first with 7.43 million total viewers and a 1.8 rating among adults 25-54. ABC’s “World News with Charles Gibson” averaged 6.54 million viewers and a 1.4 rating, followed by CBS’s “Evening News with Katie Couric” with 5.12 million and a 1.1 rating.


SUNDAY MORNING SHOW RATINGS
 Week ending July 12, 2009
Sunday averages

Program

Network

Households

 

Rtg%

Shr

Adults 25-54

Total viewers (millions)

Meet the Press

NBC

2.0

6

0.7

2.744

This Week With George Stephanopoulos

ABC

1.9

6

0.7

2.617

Face the Nation

CBS

1.7

5

0.5

2.359

News Sunday

Fox

0.7

2

0.3

0.962

Source: NTI

LATE-NIGHT RATINGS
 Week Ending July 12, 2009
Five-day averages

Program

Network

People 2+

Adults 18-49

Total viewers (millions)

Rtg%

Nightline

ABC

3.8

1.0

Late Show with David Letterman

CBS

3.7

0.8

Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien

NBC

2.8

1.1

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

CBS

1.6

0.4

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon*

NBC

1.3

0.5

Jimmy Kimmel Live*

ABC

1.3

0.4

Last Call with Carson Daly*

NBC

0.8

0.3

* Encore telecasts

Source: NTI

MORNING SHOW RATINGS
 Week Ending July 12, 2009
Five-day averages

Program

Network

Households

People 2+

Rtg%

Shr

Total viewers (millions)

Today

NBC

3.6

14

4.625

Good Morning America

ABC

2.9

11

3.788

Early Show

CBS

1.8

7

2.365

Source: NTI

DAYTIME RATINGS
 Week Ending July 12, 2009
Five-day averages

 

Total viewers (millions)

Women 18-49

Network

(millions)

Rtg%

CBS

3.33

1.1

ABC

2.72

1.1

NBC

2.68

1.2

Source: NTI

 

EVENING NETWORK NEWS RATINGS
 Week Ending July 19, 2009
Five-day averages

Program

Network

25-54s

People 2+

Rtg%

Total viewers (millions)

NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams

NBC

1.8

7.425

ABC World News with Charles Gibson

ABC

1.4

6.539

CBS Evening News with Katie Couric

CBS

1.1

5.121

Source: Nielsen Media Research

SYNDICATION
Ranked on Households
Week Ending July 12, 2009

#

PROGRAMS

Syndicator

Households

US Rtg%

(000)

1

WHEEL OF FORTUNE

CTD

5.7

6492

2

JEOPARDY

CTD

4.8

5513

3

ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT(AT)

CTD

4.2

4787

4

TWO-HALF MEN-SYN (AT)

WB

3.9

4489

5

JUDGE JUDY (AT)

CTD

3.8

4345

6

OPRAH WINFREY SHOW

CTD

3.7

4223

7

FAMILY GUY-MF-SYN (AT)

2/T

3.3

3804

8

INSIDE EDITION (AT)

CTD

2.9

3349

9

DR. PHIL SHOW (AT)

CTD

2.8

3149

9

SEINFELD (AT)

SPT

2.8

3160

11

KING OF THE HILL-SYN(AT)

2/T

2.7

3069

11

GEORGE LOPEZ (AT)

WB

2.7

3083

13

CSI NEW YORK-SYN(AT)

CTD

2.6

2977

13

EVRY LVS RAYMOND-SYN(AT)

CTD

2.6

3024

13

SEINFELD-WKND (AT)

SPT

2.6

2944

16

LAW & ORDER:SVU-SYN (AT)

NBU

2.5

2846

16

WHEEL OF FORTUNE WKND

CTD

2.5

2874

18

LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY

DAD

2.3

2684

19

MILLIONAIRE (AT)

DAD

2.2

2483

19

KING OF QUEENS-SYN (AT)

SPT

2.2

2518

21

KING OF QUEENS-WKND (AT)

SPT

2.0

2274

21

ACCESS HOLLYWOOD (AT)

NBU

2.0

2234

21

FRIENDS (AT)

WB

2.0

2248

24

ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT WKD

CTD

1.9

2136

24

CSI MIAMI-SYN (AT)

CTD

1.9

2194

24

TMZ (AT)

WB

1.9

2209

24

TWO-HALF MEN WKND B (AT)

WB

1.9

2184

24

JUDGE JOE BROWN (AT)

CTD

1.9

2190

24

HOUSE OF PAYNE MF-SYN(AT)

2/T

1.9

2201

Source: Nielsen Media Research



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