The hottest show in late night is one that just a few months ago seemed in danger of being canceled--and may still be.
The 11:35 p.m. “Nightline” posted its best numbers since its December 2005 relaunch, according to Nielsen data for the week ended Sept. 22. It was the only show to grow year-to-year among total viewers and adults 25-54, and it recorded its best opening-week numbers compared to longtime leader “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” in eight years.
The surprising up tick comes just months after ABC Entertainment head Steve McPherson hinted that the late-night newsmagazine could be nixed in favor of Leno after the latter exits “Tonight” next year.
“Nightline” averaged 4.06 million total viewers, up 9 percent from last year. It finished a still-distant second for the week behind NBC’s “Tonight,” which averaged 4.72 million viewers but was off 10 percent from last year.
The gap between the two shows was 17 percent, the smallest for opening week since 2000, when longtime anchor Ted Koppel was still with the show, and less than half the 55 percent gap from last year. Among adults 25-54, “Nightline” trailed “Tonight” by just 0.1 with a 1.5 rating.
Meanwhile, CBS’s “Late Night with David Letterman” finished behind “Nightline” in both total viewers and 25-54s for the fifth straight week.
In the nearly three years since Koppel left, “Nightline” has been the subject of near-constant cancellation rumors. Its ratings have risen and fallen during that span, but it never became a legitimate threat to “Letterman” until earlier this summer, as speculation over Leno’s future grew.
In fact, the high interest in the presidential race couldn’t have come at a better time for “Nightline,” which has devoted big chunks of its recent programs to politics. After Koppel’s departure, the show moved away from the single-topic format to its current system, which has allowed the newsmagazine to air features and analysis while tackling multiple issues.
Clearly the presidential race has stoked ratings, but so too has the recent economic crisis, which has sent viewers to their TV sets for the latest news on the government bailout plan and the ever-eroding Dow.
“Nightline” should continue to thrive at least through November, when the election and any leftover storylines wrap up. Beyond that it’s difficult to say.
Ratings could certainly decline again if the country hits a slow news patch. And, with Leno still outdrawing “Nightline” nearly every night, ABC may still be interested in pursuing the comedian and the huge number of ad dollars he brings in.
But at the least, “Nightline” has made a case for further consideration, especially if it keeps beating “Letterman.”
***
Meanwhile, in late-late night ratings for the week ended Sept. 28, NBC’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” had 1.8 million total viewers and a 0.7 in 18-49s, with CBS’s “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” at 1.8 million viewers and a 0.6. ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” averaged 1.8 million viewers and a 0.6 (including a rerun on Friday), and NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly” brought in 1.1 million viewers and a 0.5 among 18-49s (also with a Friday repeat).
In other dayparts for the week ended Sept. 28, CBS’s “Face the Nation” was first among the Sunday morning shows in total viewers with 3.53 million tuning in and tied for first among viewers 25-54 with a 1.0 rating. Barack Obama was a guest on the program, boosting it to the unusual win. NBC’s “Meet the Press” was second in viewers with 3.51 million and among 25-54s with a 0.9, with ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” pulling 3.44 million viewers and a 1.0 among 25-54s. “Fox News Sunday” averaged 1.60 million viewers and a 0.5 rating among 25-54s.
In morning shows, NBC’s “Today” was first with 5.2 million total viewers and a 4.0 household rating and 14 share, followed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” with 4.3 million viewers and a 3.2/12. CBS’s “Early Show” was third with 2.7 million total viewers and a 2.0/7.
CBS had the largest full daytime audience during the week, averaging 3.55 million viewers, but was second among women 18-49 with a 1.2 rating. ABC had the second-largest audience, averaging 2.87 million viewers, and was first among women 18-49 with a 1.3 rating. NBC had a full daytime audience of 2.57 million and was third among women 18-49 with a 1.1 rating.
In evening network news for the week ended Oct. 5, NBC’s “Nightly News with Brian Williams” was first among total viewers, averaging 7.9 million, and among 25-54s with a 2.1 average rating. ABC’s “World News with Charles Gibson” was second in viewers, averaging 7.82 million, and in 25-54s with a 2.0 rating, while CBS’s “Evening News with Katie Couric” was third for the week with 6.21 million total viewers and a 1.6 25-54 rating.
|
SUNDAY MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week ending September 28, 2008
Sunday averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
|
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Adults 25-54 |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Face the Nation |
CBS |
2.5 |
7 |
1.0 |
3.530 |
|
Meet the Press |
NBC |
2.5 |
7 |
0.9
|
3.510 |
|
This Week With George Stephanopoulos |
ABC |
2.4 |
7 |
1.0 |
3.440 |
|
News Sunday |
Fox |
1.2 |
3 |
0.5 |
1.600 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
LATE-NIGHT RATINGS
Week Ending September 28, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
People 2+ |
Adults 18-49 |
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Rtg% |
|
Tonight Show with Jay Leno |
NBC |
4.7 |
1.3 |
|
Nightline* |
ABC |
4.1 |
1.2 |
|
Late Show with David Letterman* |
CBS |
3.9 |
1.1 |
|
Late Night with Conan O’Brien |
NBC |
1.8 |
0.7 |
|
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson* |
CBS |
1.8 |
0.6 |
|
Jimmy Kimmel Live** |
ABC |
1.8 |
0.6 |
|
Last Call with
Carson Daly** |
NBC |
1.1 |
0.5 |
|
*ABC and CBS shows delayed on Wednesday due to a presidential address. ABC shows from that day are excluded from weekly averages.
** Encore on Friday
Source: NTI
|
|
MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week Ending September 28, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Today |
NBC |
4.0 |
14 |
5.2 |
|
Good Morning
America |
ABC |
3.2 |
12 |
4.3 |
|
Early Show |
CBS |
2.0 |
7 |
2.7 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
DAYTIME RATINGS
Week Ending September 28, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Women 18-49 |
|
Network |
(millions) |
Rtg% |
|
CBS |
3.55 |
1.2 |
|
ABC |
2.87 |
1.3 |
|
NBC |
2.57 |
1.1 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
EVENING NETWORK NEWS RATINGS
Week Ending October 5, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
25-54s |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams |
NBC |
2.1 |
7.900 |
|
ABC World News with Charles Gibson |
ABC |
2.0 |
7.817 |
|
CBS Evening News with Katie Couric |
CBS |
1.6 |
6.209 |
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
|
SYNDICATION
Ranked on Households
Week Ending September 21, 2008
|
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Syndicator |
Households |
|
US
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1
|
ESPN NFL REGULAR SEASON
|
ESP
|
12.3
|
14074
|
|
2
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE
|
CTD
|
6.4
|
7337
|
|
3
|
JEOPARDY
|
CTD
|
5.5
|
6311
|
|
4
|
OPRAH WINFREY SHOW
|
CTD
|
4.7
|
5407
|
|
5
|
TWO-HALF MEN-SYN (AT)
|
WB
|
4.6
|
5324
|
|
6
|
JUDGE JUDY (AT)
|
CTD
|
4.4
|
5023
|
|
7
|
FAMILY GUY-MF-SYN (AT)
|
2/T
|
4.0
|
4554
|
|
8
|
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT(AT)
|
CTD
|
3.7
|
4236
|
|
9
|
SEINFELD (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.5
|
4046
|
|
10
|
DR. PHIL SHOW (AT)
|
CTD
|
3.3
|
3746
|
|
11
|
GEORGE LOPEZ (AT)
|
WB
|
3.0
|
3474
|
|
11
|
LAW & ORDER:SVU-SYN (AT)
|
NBU
|
3.0
|
3389
|
|
13
|
EVRY LVS RAYMOND-SYN(AT)
|
CTD
|
2.8
|
3246
|
|
13
|
CSI NEW YORK-SYN(AT)
|
CTD
|
2.8
|
3207
|
|
15
|
KING OF QUEENS-SYN (AT)
|
SPT
|
2.7
|
3051
|
|
15
|
KING OF QUEENS-WKND (AT)
|
SPT
|
2.7
|
3042
|
|
17
|
LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY
|
DAD
|
2.6
|
2987
|
|
17
|
FRIENDS (AT)
|
WB
|
2.6
|
2961
|
|
17
|
INSIDE EDITION (AT)
|
CTD
|
2.6
|
2959
|
|
17
|
MILLIONAIRE (AT)
|
DAD
|
2.6
|
2935
|
|
21
|
JUDGE JOE BROWN (AT)
|
CTD
|
2.4
|
2786
|
|
22
|
PEOPLE'S COURT (AT)
|
WB
|
2.2
|
2538
|
|
22
|
TWO-HALF MEN WKND B (AT)
|
WB
|
2.2
|
2477
|
|
24
|
ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW
|
WB
|
2.1
|
2421
|
|
24
|
GEORGE LOPEZ WKND B (AT)
|
WB
|
2.1
|
2414
|
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
