More than a year after “Today’s” Katie Couric and “Good Morning America’s” Charlie Gibson left their respective morning shows to anchor the nightly news, the gap between longtime leader NBC and ABC is narrowing.
That’s due mainly to declines at “Today,” where Meredith Vieira succeeded Couric as co-anchor a year ago. Once again it raises the question whether "Today," after more than a decade of dominance, is in any danger of losing its lead.
The gap between the two was narrowed considerably two years ago before "Today" shot way out ahead again. While "GMA" won't overtake or even match "Today" anytime soon, there's no doubt that NBC's lead is shrinking.
For the week ended Oct. 7, the most recent available, NBC led with 5.19 million total viewers, 350,000 more than “GMA’s” 4.84 million, according to Nielsen. That gap was 44 percent smaller than the same week last year, when 600,000 viewers separated the shows.
Among adults 25-54, the key morning news demo, NBC had its lowest number since August, averaging 2.43 million, while ABC drew 2.14 million, its best since March. Again, the gap between the two was down 17 percent from the same week last year.
Year to date for the 2007-’08 season, “Today” is averaging 5.26 million total viewers, down 8 percent from last year, while “GMA” is averaging 4.82 million, down 1 percent from last year.
On Tuesday, “GMA” actually finished 312,000 viewers ahead of “Today,” according to fast nationals, with anchors Robin Roberts and Diane Sawyer pumping their cameo later on that night’s “Dancing with the Stars.”
Certainly both shows have had to adjust after losing popular anchors. Last fall “Today” actually saw its ratings rise after Vieira joined, but by spring it was down year-to-year, and both programs ended the 2006-’07 season with losses.
This year “Today” seems to be flagging mainly because the curiosity factor has been satisfied. Much of its audience loss is simply those viewers who tuned in for Vieira last fall tuning out after finding the show much the same as during Couric’s tenure. That's not unexpected and doesn't necessarily mean the show will experience greater declines.
As for “GMA’s” steadiness, it coincides with a tough time for the show’s personalities, which sadly has garnered lots of media attention and raised the program’s profile. Longtime “GMA” entertainment critic Joel Siegel died over the summer after more than three decades with the network.
Shortly after, co-anchor Roberts was diagnosed with breast cancer. She has been very public about her treatment and used it as a platform to encourage other African-American women to better monitor their health through cancer roundtables and special reports.
“GMA” got within 45,000 viewers of “Today” in May 2005 but hasn’t been anywhere near that close since then. At the time, media people attributed much of that rise to ABC's rising fortunes in primetime. These days ABC is ahead of NBC in primetime but continues to lag in the morning.
Meanwhile, in other dayparts for the week ended Oct. 7, NBC’s “Meet the Press” was first yet again among the Sunday morning shows in total viewers with 3.11 million tuning in and among viewers 25-54 with a 0.9 rating. ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” was second in viewers with 2.46 million and tied for second among 25-54s with a 0.7, with CBS’s “Face the Nation” pulling 2.27 million viewers and a 0.7 among 25-54s. "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” finished first for the week yet again, averaging 5.0 million total viewers and a 1.5 rating among adults 18-49. “The Late Show with David Letterman” on CBS had 3.6 million viewers and a 1.1 rating in the demo, with ABC’s “Nightline” bringing in 3.6 million viewers and a 1.1 18-49 rating. In late-late night, NBC’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” had 2.1 million total viewers and a 0.9 in 18-49s, with ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” averaging 1.9 million viewers and a 0.7, CBS’s “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” at 1.7 million viewers and a 0.6, and NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly” bringing in 1.2 million viewers and a 0.5 among 18-49s.
In morning shows, NBC’s “Today” was first with 5.2 million total viewers and a 4.0 household rating and 15 share, followed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” with 4.8 million viewers and a 3.7/14. CBS’s “Early Show” was third with 2.5 million total viewers and a 2.0/7.
CBS had the largest full daytime audience, averaging 3.84 million viewers, but was second among women 18-49 with a 1.2 rating. ABC had the second-largest audience, averaging 2.97 million viewers, and was first among women 18-49 with a 1.4 rating. NBC had a full daytime audience of 2.34 million, and was third among women 18-49 with a 1.2 rating.
In evening network news for the week ended Oct. 14, NBC’s “Nightly News with Brian Williams” regained first among total viewers, averaging 7.93 million, but was second among 25-54s with a 1.9 average rating. ABC’s “World News with Charles Gibson” was second in viewers, averaging 7.80 million, and was first among 25-54s with a 2.0, while CBS’s “Evening News with Katie Couric” was third for the week with 6.10 million total viewers and a 1.5 25-54 rating.
|
SUNDAY MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week ending October 7, 2007
Sunday averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
|
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Adults 25-54 |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Meet the Press |
NBC |
2.4 |
7 |
0.9 |
3.110 |
|
This Week With George Stephanopoulos |
ABC |
1.8 |
5 |
0.7 |
2.455 |
|
Face the Nation |
CBS |
1.8 |
5 |
0.7 |
2.268 |
|
News Sunday |
Fox |
0.9 |
3 |
0.4 |
1.216 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
LATE-NIGHT RATINGS
Week Ending October 7, 2007
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
People 2+ |
Adults 18-49 |
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Rtg% |
|
Tonight Show with Jay Leno |
NBC |
5.0 |
1.5 |
|
Late Show with David Letterman |
CBS |
3.6 |
1.1 |
|
Nightline |
ABC |
3.5 |
1.1 |
|
Late Night with Conan O’Brien |
NBC |
2.1 |
0.9 |
|
Jimmy Kimmel Live |
ABC |
1.9 |
0.7 |
|
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson |
CBS |
1.7 |
0.6 |
|
Last Call with
Carson Daly |
NBC |
1.2 |
0.5 |
|
Source: NTI
|
|
MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week Ending October 7, 2007
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Today |
NBC |
4.0 |
15 |
5.2 |
|
Good Morning
America |
ABC |
3.7 |
14 |
4.8 |
|
Early Show |
CBS |
2.0 |
7 |
2.5 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
DAYTIME RATINGS*
Week Ending October 7, 2007
Five-day averages |
|
Daytime dramas |
Total viewers (millions) |
Women 18-49 |
|
Network |
(millions) |
Rtg% |
|
CBS |
- |
- |
|
ABC |
- |
- |
|
NBC |
- |
- |
|
Full daytime |
Total viewers (millions) |
Women 18-49 |
|
Network |
(millions) |
Rtg% |
|
CBS |
3.84 |
1.2 |
|
ABC |
2.97 |
1.4 |
|
NBC |
2.34 |
1.1 |
|
*Daytime drama data wasn’t immediately available
Source: NTI |
|
EVENING NETWORK NEWS RATINGS
Week Ending October 14, 2007
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
25-54s |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams |
NBC |
1.9 |
7.931 |
|
ABC World News with Charles Gibson |
ABC |
2.0 |
7.797 |
|
CBS Evening News with Katie Couric |
CBS |
1.5 |
6.103 |
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
|
SYNDICATION
Ranked on Households
Week Ending September 30, 2007
|
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Syndicator |
Households |
|
US
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1
|
ESPN NFL REGULAR SEASON
|
ESP
|
7.6
|
8563
|
|
2
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE
|
CTD
|
7.2
|
8149
|
|
3
|
JEOPARDY
|
CTD
|
5.9
|
6621
|
|
4
|
OPRAH WINFREY SHOW
|
CTD
|
5.4
|
6055
|
|
5
|
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT(AT)
|
CTD
|
4.8
|
5372
|
|
6
|
JUDGE JUDY (AT)
|
CTD
|
4.6
|
5209
|
|
7
|
DR. PHIL SHOW (AT)
|
CTD
|
4.5
|
5076
|
|
8
|
EVRY LVS RAYMOND-SYN(AT)
|
CTD
|
3.9
|
4369
|
|
9
|
FAMILY GUY-MF-SYN (AT)
|
2/T
|
3.7
|
4187
|
|
10
|
SEINFELD (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.6
|
4072
|
|
10
|
TWO-HALF MEN-SYN (AT)
|
WB
|
3.6
|
4014
|
|
12
|
CSI MIAMI-SYN (AT)
|
CTD
|
3.5
|
3995
|
|
13
|
INSIDE EDITION
|
CTD
|
3.3
|
3776
|
|
14
|
LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY
|
DAD
|
3.1
|
3517
|
|
15
|
SEINFELD-WKND (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.0
|
3355
|
|
16
|
KING OF QUEENS-SYN (AT)
|
SPT
|
2.9
|
3257
|
|
17
|
MILLIONAIRE (AT)
|
DAD
|
2.8
|
3206
|
|
18
|
FRIENDS (AT)
|
WB
|
2.7
|
3066
|
|
18
|
JUDGE JOE BROWN (AT)
|
CTD
|
2.7
|
3040
|
|
20
|
PEOPLE'S COURT (AT)
|
WB
|
2.5
|
2782
|
|
20
|
KING OF QUEENS-WKND (AT)
|
SPT
|
2.5
|
2768
|
|
22
|
ACCESS
HOLLYWOOD (AT)
|
NBU
|
2.3
|
2629
|
|
22
|
EVBDY LVS RAYMOND-WKD-SYN
|
CTD
|
2.3
|
2606
|
|
22
|
INSIDER (AT)
|
CTD
|
2.3
|
2599
|
|
22
|
LAW & ORDER:SVU-SYN (AT)
|
NBU
|
2.3
|
2555
|
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
