This Sunday, Univision will premiere its first Sunday morning current affairs program, “Al Punto” (“To the Point”), which is essentially “Meet the Press” with Jorge Ramos hosting instead of Tim Russert.
The show, which will air weekly at 10 a.m., boasts an impressive roster of politicians for its debut, including Republican National Committee chairman Mel Martinez and four other congressmen.
But the signficance of “Punto” goes well beyond its guest list. It's a statement about just how much Univision has come to rival the major English-language networks as a shaper of opinion, at a time when Hispanic voices and issues are assuming a larger role in public debate heading into the 2008 presidential election.
As the U.S. Hispanic population continues its explosive growth, it's also becoming more mainstream, and in many ways Univision has mirrored that transformation.
The network is coming off its first-ever primetime victory among viewers 18-34 last week, the week ended Sept. 2. It marked the first time that any Spanish-language network had won a major adult demographic since Nielsen began measuring them alongside the English-language ones in December 2005.
In addition to rolling out “Punto,” Univision has convinced all the Democratic frontrunners, including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, to appear at a candidate forum on Sunday night in Florida to discuss issues of importance to Hispanic voters. The network is planning a similar forum for Republicans.
Democrats have begun vigorously courting the Hispanic vote. Clinton’s web site has been organizing so-called “watch parties” for the event, encouraging voters to get together and watch the forum on television.
Meanwhile, Obama has been running Spanish-language ads in Nevada, and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, whose mother is Mexican, has highlighted his heritage during his campaign.
Democratic strategists think the Hispanic vote could help determine which party will win the White House in 2008. Four years ago, President George W. Bush received the highest-ever percentage of Hispanic votes for a Republican candidate, 39 percent, and without them he probably would not have won.
Thus “Punto” will likely play host to a plethora of Democratic presidential hopefuls and their aides in coming months. The show will include a weekly roundtable with writers and journalists as well as some pop culture and business coverage.
Meanwhile, in other dayparts for the week ended Aug. 26, NBC’s “Meet the Press” was first once again among Sunday morning shows in total viewers with 3.33 million tuning in and among viewers 25-54 with a 0.9 rating. CBS’s “Face the Nation” was second in viewers with 2.37 million and among 25-54s with a 0.7, with ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” pulling 2.22 million viewers and a 0.6 among 18-49s. “Fox News Sunday” was fourth in viewers with 1.22 million and among 25-54s with a 0.4.
In late night, NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” was first for the week, averaging 4.3 million total viewers and a 1.4 rating among adults 18-49. “The Late Show with David Letterman” on CBS had 3.5 million viewers and a 1.1 rating in the demo, with ABC’s “Nightline” bringing in 3.2 million viewers and a 1.0 18-49 rating. In late late night, 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” averaging 1.6 million viewers and a 0.6, ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” at 1.5 million viewers and a 0.5, and NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly” bringing in 1.1 million viewers and a 0.5 among 18-49s.
In morning shows, NBC’s “Today” was first with 4.9 million total viewers and a 3.9 household rating and 15 share, followed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” with 4.6 million viewers and a 3.6/14. CBS’s “Early Show” was third with 2.5 million total viewers and a 2.0/8.
CBS once again had the largest audience for daytime dramas and full daytime, averaging 3.62 million and 3.89 million viewers, respectively, but was second among women 18-49 for dramas and for full daytime, averaging a 1.3 rating for its dramas and a 1.2 for full daytime. ABC had the second-largest audience with 3.20 million watching its dramas and 3.03 million for full daytime, and was first among women 18-49 with a 1.6 rating for its dramas and a 1.4 for full daytime. NBC had an audience of 2.22 million for both dramas and full daytime. It was third among women 18-49 for its dramas with a 1.2 rating and tied for second for full daytime, also posting a 1.2 rating.
In evening network news for the week ended Sept. 2, NBC’s “Nightly News with Brian Williams” was first among total viewers for the first time in six weeks, averaging 7.82 million, and was also first among 25-54s with a 1.9 average rating. With its anchor on vacation, ABC’s “World News with Charles Gibson” dipped to second in both, averaging 7.60 million viewers and a 1.8 in the demo, while CBS’s “Evening News with Katie Couric” was third for the week with 5.89 million total viewers and a 1.4 25-54 rating.
|
SUNDAY MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week ending August 26, 2007
Sunday averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
|
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Adults 25-54 |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Meet the Press |
NBC |
2.4 |
7 |
0.9 |
3.325 |
|
Face the Nation |
CBS |
1.8 |
5 |
0.7 |
2.372 |
|
This Week With George Stephanopoulos |
ABC |
1.6 |
5 |
0.6 |
2.222 |
|
News Sunday |
Fox |
0.9 |
3 |
0.4 |
1.216 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
LATE-NIGHT RATINGS
Week Ending August 26, 2007
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
People 2+ |
Adults 18-49 |
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Rtg% |
|
Tonight Show with Jay Leno* |
NBC |
4.3 |
1.4 |
|
Late Show with David Letterman |
CBS |
3.5 |
1.1 |
|
Nightline |
ABC |
3.2 |
1.0 |
|
Late Night with Conan O’Brien* |
NBC |
1.8 |
0.7 |
|
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson |
CBS |
1.6 |
0.6 |
|
Jimmy Kimmel Live* |
ABC |
1.5 |
0.5 |
|
Last Call with
Carson Daly* |
NBC |
1.1 |
0.5 |
|
*Encore telecasts
Source: NTI
|
|
MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week Ending August 26, 2007
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Today |
NBC |
3.9 |
15 |
4.9 |
|
Good Morning
America |
ABC |
3.6 |
14 |
4.6 |
|
Early Show |
CBS |
2.0 |
8 |
2.5 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
DAYTIME RATINGS
Week Ending August 26, 2007
Five-day averages |
|
Daytime dramas |
Total viewers (millions) |
Women 18-49 |
|
Network |
(millions) |
Rtg% |
|
CBS |
3.615 |
1.3 |
|
ABC |
3.200 |
1.6 |
|
NBC |
2.216 |
1.2 |
|
Full daytime |
Total viewers (millions) |
Women 18-49 |
|
Network |
(millions) |
Rtg% |
|
CBS |
3.889 |
1.2 |
|
ABC |
3.026 |
1.4 |
|
NBC |
2.216 |
1.2 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
EVENING NETWORK NEWS RATINGS
Week Ending September 2, 2007
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
25-54s |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams |
NBC |
1.9 |
7.815 |
|
ABC World News with Charles Gibson |
ABC |
1.8 |
7.596 |
|
CBS Evening News with Katie Couric |
CBS |
1.4 |
5.888 |
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
|
SYNDICATION
Ranked on Households
Week Ending August 26, 2007
|
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Syndicator |
Households |
|
US
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE
|
KIN
|
6.8
|
7557
|
|
2
|
JEOPARDY
|
KIN
|
5.7
|
6316
|
|
3
|
JUDGE JUDY (AT)
|
C/P
|
4.5
|
5007
|
|
4
|
EVRY LVS RAYMOND-SYN (AT)
|
KIN
|
4.4
|
4918
|
|
4
|
OPRAH WINFREY SHOW (AT)
|
KIN
|
4.4
|
4911
|
|
6
|
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT(AT)
|
C/P
|
4.3
|
4835
|
|
7
|
CSI MIAMI-SYN (AT)
|
KIN
|
4
|
4459
|
|
8
|
SEINFELD (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.8
|
4224
|
|
9
|
DR. PHIL SHOW (AT)
|
KIN
|
3.5
|
3850
|
|
10
|
FRIENDS (AT)
|
WB
|
3.2
|
3595
|
|
10
|
INSIDE EDITION
|
KIN
|
3.2
|
3565
|
|
12
|
KING OF QUEENS-SYN (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.1
|
3469
|
|
12
|
SEINFELD-WKND (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.1
|
3434
|
|
14
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE WKND
|
KIN
|
3
|
3385
|
|
14
|
MILLIONAIRE (AT)
|
BV
|
3
|
3380
|
|
16
|
THAT 70S SHOW-MF-SYN (AT)
|
2/T
|
2.8
|
3097
|
|
17
|
JUDGE JOE BROWN (AT)
|
C/P
|
2.7
|
2993
|
|
17
|
KING OF QUEENS-WKND (AT)
|
SPT
|
2.7
|
2986
|
|
19
|
LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY
|
BV
|
2.6
|
2906
|
|
19
|
KING OF THE HILL-SYN(AT)
|
2/T
|
2.6
|
2845
|
|
21
|
EVBDY LVS RAYMOND-WKD-SYN
|
KIN
|
2.4
|
2693
|
|
21
|
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT WKD
|
C/P
|
2.4
|
2674
|
|
23
|
ACCESS
HOLLYWOOD (AT)
|
NBU
|
2.3
|
2610
|
|
23
|
PEOPLE'S COURT (AT)
|
WB
|
2.3
|
2584
|
|
23
|
LIST OF A LIFETIME 6
|
NBU
|
2.3
|
2520
|
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
