Katie Couric’s “CBS Evening News” audience has diminished by more than half since her much-hyped debut last September, and her broadcast has sunk to record lows among total viewers.
But Couric has been successful in doing at least two of the things CBS president Les Moonves had hoped for when he hired the former “Today” co-host, and that’s shore up the newscast’s female audience and lower its median age.
In those two areas, in fact, CBS is trending better than its competitors, despite lagging well behind in the ratings.
Through the end of second quarter, “Evening News” is the only newscast not seeing year-to-year declines among women 18-49 and 25-54 this season, according to Nielsen data analyzed by Magna Global USA.
While ABC’s “World News Tonight with Charles Gibson” is down 10 percent in women 18-49, from a 2.1 to a 1.9, and 7 percent in women 25-54, from a 2.8 to a 2.6, CBS has remained flat with a 1.6 and 2.1 rating, respectively.
NBC’s “Nightly News with Brian Williams” is even worse off, falling 18 percent in women 18-49, from a 2.2 to a 1.8, and 14 percent in women 25-54, from a 2.8 to a 2.4.
In 2005-’06, with Bob Schieffer as anchor, “Evening News” had the biggest decline among the three newscasts in women 18-49.
Meanwhile, “Evening News’” median age has dropped by a year compared with last year, to 60, becoming the youngest-skewing newscast. “World” is up nearly two years, from 59.3 to 61, while “Nightly” added more than a year, going from 59.7 to 61.
Before hiring Couric, Moonves repeatedly said that he wanted to lure younger viewers to the newscast, and the median age decline is certainly due to the 49-year-old Couric’s appeal to that demographic.
CBS’s median age is older than its competitors' in virtually every other daypart, and the network’s Sunday news average, under anchor Russ Mitchell, is three years older.
Couric’s sharpest declines have been among viewers over 50, the traditional broadcast news audience, where she’s down 11 percent. She’s off 7 percent in total viewers.
Couric, who has been slammed by critics, colleagues and competitors during her 11-month tenure, drew more than 13 million viewers in her September debut but now rarely cracks 6 million.
Meanwhile, in evening network news for the week ended July 29, ABC’s “World News” regained the top spot with an average of 7.53 million viewers and was also first among 25-54s with a 1.8 average rating. NBC’s “Nightly News” was second in viewers and among 25-54s, averaging 7.17 million viewers and a 1.7 in the demo, while CBS’s “Evening News” was third for the week with 5.93 million total viewers and a 1.4 25-54 rating.
In other daypart ratings for the week ended July 22, NBC’s “Meet the Press” finished first among Sunday morning shows in total viewers with 3.30 million tuning in and among viewers 25-54 with a 0.9 rating. CBS’s “Face the Nation” was second in viewers with 1.79 million and among 25-54s with a 0.5, with Fox’s “News Sunday” third in viewers with 1.06 million and among 25-54s with a 0.4. ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” was preempted due to British Open golf coverage.
In late night, NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” was first for the week, averaging 5.0 million total viewers and a 1.5 rating among adults 18-49. “The Late Show with David Letterman” on CBS had 3.5 million viewers and a 1.1 rating in the demo, with ABC’s “Nightline” bringing in 2.9 million viewers and a 0.9 18-49 rating. In late late night, NBC’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” had 2.0 million total viewers and a 0.8 in 18-49s, with CBS’s “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” averaging 1.6 million viewers and a 0.5, 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 0.4 among 18-49s.
In morning shows, NBC’s “Today” was first with 4.81 million total viewers and a 3.8 household rating and 15 share, followed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” with 4.10 million viewers and a 3.2/13. CBS’s “Early Show” was third with 2.18 million total viewers and a 1.8/7.
CBS had the largest audience for daytime dramas and full daytime, averaging 3.59 million and 3.86 million viewers, respectively, but it was tied for second among women 18-49 for dramas and was third for full daytime, averaging a 1.3 and a 1.2 rating, respectively. ABC had the second-largest audience with 3.16 million watching its dramas and also 3.16 million for full daytime, and was first among women 18-49 with a 1.7 rating for its dramas and a 1.6 for full daytime. NBC had an audience of 2.33 million for both dramas and full daytime, and was tied for second among women 18-49 for its dramas and third for full daytime, posting a 1.3 rating for each.
|
SUNDAY MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week ending July 22, 2007
Sunday averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
|
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Adults 25-54 |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Meet the Press |
NBC |
2.5 |
8 |
0.9 |
3.302 |
|
Face the Nation |
CBS |
1.4 |
4 |
0.5 |
1.790 |
|
News Sunday |
Fox |
0.8 |
3 |
0.4 |
1.059 |
|
This Week With George Stephanopoulos* |
ABC |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
*Preempted due to British Open golf coverage
Source: NTI |
|
LATE-NIGHT RATINGS
Week Ending July 22, 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 |
3.5 |
1.1 |
|
Nightline |
ABC |
2.9 |
0.9 |
|
Late Night with Conan O’Brien |
NBC |
2.0 |
0.8 |
|
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson* |
CBS |
1.6 |
0.5 |
|
Jimmy Kimmel Live** |
ABC |
1.5 |
0.5 |
|
Last Call with
Carson Daly** |
NBC |
1.1 |
0.4 |
|
*Encore telecasts
**Encore telecast on Monday
Source: NTI
|
|
MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week Ending July 22, 2007
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Today |
NBC |
3.8 |
15 |
4.81 |
|
Good Morning
America |
ABC |
3.2 |
13 |
4.10 |
|
Early Show |
CBS |
1.8 |
7 |
2.18 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
DAYTIME RATINGS
Week Ending July 22, 2007
Five-day averages |
|
Daytime dramas |
Total viewers (millions) |
Women 18-49 |
|
Network |
(millions) |
Rtg% |
|
CBS |
3.590 |
1.3 |
|
ABC |
3.162 |
1.7 |
|
NBC |
2.325 |
1.3 |
|
Full daytime |
Total viewers (millions) |
Women 18-49 |
|
Network |
(millions) |
Rtg% |
|
CBS |
3.857 |
1.2 |
|
ABC |
3.163 |
1.6 |
|
NBC |
2.325 |
1.3 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
EVENING NETWORK NEWS RATINGS
Week Ending July 29, 2007
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
25-54s |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
ABC World News with Charles Gibson |
ABC |
1.8 |
7.530 |
|
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams |
NBC |
1.7 |
7.170 |
|
CBS Evening News with Katie Couric |
CBS |
1.4 |
5.930 |
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
|
SYNDICATION
Ranked on Households
Week Ending July 22, 2007
|
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Syndicator |
Households |
|
US
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE
|
KIN
|
6.4
|
7159
|
|
2
|
JEOPARDY
|
KIN
|
5.2
|
5759
|
|
3
|
OPRAH WINFREY SHOW (AT)
|
KIN
|
4.9
|
5413
|
|
4
|
JUDGE JUDY (AT)
|
C/P
|
4.5
|
5040
|
|
5
|
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT(AT)
|
C/P
|
4.3
|
4827
|
|
5
|
CSI MIAMI-SYN (AT)
|
KIN
|
4.3
|
4780
|
|
5
|
EVRY LVS RAYMOND-SYN (AT)
|
KIN
|
4.3
|
4750
|
|
8
|
SEINFELD (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.8
|
4181
|
|
9
|
DR. PHIL SHOW (AT)
|
KIN
|
3.7
|
4155
|
|
10
|
FRIENDS (AT)
|
WB
|
3.2
|
3607
|
|
10
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE WKND
|
KIN
|
3.2
|
3594
|
|
10
|
SEINFELD-WKND (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.2
|
3590
|
|
13
|
LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY
|
BV
|
3.1
|
3461
|
|
13
|
MILLIONAIRE (AT)
|
BV
|
3.1
|
3457
|
|
15
|
INSIDE EDITION
|
KIN
|
3.0
|
3384
|
|
15
|
KING OF QUEENS-SYN (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.0
|
3375
|
|
17
|
THAT 70S SHOW-MF-SYN (AT)
|
2/T
|
2.9
|
3215
|
|
17
|
JUDGE JOE BROWN (AT)
|
C/P
|
2.9
|
3196
|
|
19
|
PEOPLE'S COURT (AT)
|
WB
|
2.6
|
2852
|
|
20
|
EVBDY LVS RAYMOND-WKD-SYN
|
KIN
|
2.5
|
2828
|
|
20
|
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT WKD
|
C/P
|
2.5
|
2813
|
|
20
|
KING OF THE HILL-SYN(AT)
|
2/T
|
2.5
|
2737
|
|
23
|
KING OF QUEENS-WKND (AT)
|
SPT
|
2.4
|
2724
|
|
23
|
WITHOUT A TRACE (AT)
|
WB
|
2.4
|
2703
|
|
25
|
INSIDER (AT)
|
C/P
|
2.2
|
2473
|
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
