The cable news networks aren’t the only ones seeing ratings rise from the contentious presidential primary season.
Late-night and daytime shows have also gotten a boost from the never-ending carousel of presidential contenders, who seem to pop up on a different show each week.
Democrat Hillary Clinton’s appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” last Thursday lifted the program to its best outing of the week, averaging a 4.1 household rating, according to metered market data, with final ratings due out later today.
A week earlier, Clinton’s rival for the Democratic nomination, Barack Obama, dropped by “The View” and pushed the show to its best week since late February, with an average 3.67 million total viewers and 889,000 women 18-49.
And presumptive Republican nominee John McCain appeared on “Late Show with David Letterman” last week, on April Fool’s Day. The appearance drew a 3.4 metered market average, just 6 percent behind usual leader Leno, who the week before had topped Letterman by more than 20 percent.
The Democratic candidates’ “Saturday Night Live” appearances have also coincided with strong ratings for the show, though those cameos were unannounced.
Folksy appearances on talk shows have become an accepted and even necessary part of presidential campaigning these days, a long way from the novelty they held when Bill Clinton played saxophone for Arsenio Hall in 1992.
In fact, some credit Clinton’s genial spots on “SNL” and Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” with helping her to crucial victories in Texas and Ohio last month, by showing a different side of her than the tough, sometimes humorless Hillary on display during the debates.
The appearances also give candidates a chance to address touchy issues on their own terms, usually with an easier audience. During her Leno chat, Clinton made light of a recent campaign controversy in which she was quoted claiming to have faced sniper fire (it never happened).
McCain even informally announced his presidential bid last year on Letterman, and Obama’s wife has appeared on “The View.”
***
Meanwhile, in other dayparts for the week ended March 30, NBC’s “Meet the Press” was first among the Sunday morning shows in total viewers with 3.92 million tuning in and among viewers 25-54 with a 1.0 rating. ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” was second in viewers with 2.89 million and tied for second among 25-54s with a 0.9, with CBS’s “Face the Nation” pulling 2.85 million viewers and a 0.9 among 25-54s. “Fox News Sunday” averaged 1.34 million viewers and a 0.6 rating among 25-54s.
In late night, NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” finished first for the week, averaging 5.2 million total viewers and a 1.4 rating among adults 18-49. CBS’s “The Late Show with David Letterman” had 3.4 million viewers and a 1.1 rating in the demo, with ABC’s “Nightline” bringing in 3.4 million viewers and a 1.0 18-49 rating. In late-late night, NBC’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” had 1.9 million total viewers and a 0.8 in 18-49s, with ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” at 1.7 million viewers and a 0.6, CBS’s “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” 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 yet again with 5.49 million total viewers and a 4.3 household rating and 15 share, followed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” with 4.41 million viewers and a 3.4/12. CBS’s “Early Show” was third with 2.66 million total viewers and a 2.1/7.
CBS had the largest full daytime audience during the week, averaging 4.01 million viewers, and was also first among women 18-49 with a 1.4 rating. ABC had the second-largest audience, averaging 2.85 million viewers, and was tied for second among women 18-49 with a 1.3 rating. NBC had a full daytime audience of 2.84 million and was tied for second among women 18-49 with a 1.3 rating.
In evening network news for the week ended April 6, NBC’s “Nightly News with Brian Williams” was first among total viewers, averaging 8.27 million, and tied for first among 25-54s with a 2.1 average rating. ABC’s “World News with Charles Gibson” was second in viewers, averaging 7.98 million, and tied for first among 25-54s with a 2.1, while CBS’s “Evening News with Katie Couric” was third for the week with 5.94 million total viewers and a 1.5 25-54 rating.
|
SUNDAY MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week ending March 30, 2008
Sunday averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
|
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Adults 25-54 |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Meet the Press |
NBC |
2.9 |
8 |
1.0 |
3.921 |
|
This Week With George Stephanopoulos |
ABC |
2.1 |
6 |
0.9 |
2.889 |
|
Face the Nation |
CBS |
2.0 |
6 |
0.9 |
2.849 |
|
News Sunday |
Fox |
1.0 |
3 |
0.6 |
1.343 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
LATE-NIGHT RATINGS
Week Ending March 30, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
People 2+ |
Adults 18-49 |
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Rtg% |
|
Tonight Show with Jay Leno |
NBC |
5.2 |
1.4 |
|
Late Show with David Letterman |
CBS |
3.4 |
1.1 |
|
Nightline |
ABC |
3.4 |
1.0 |
|
Late Night with Conan O’Brien |
NBC |
1.9 |
0.8 |
|
Jimmy Kimmel Live |
ABC |
1.7 |
0.6 |
|
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson |
CBS |
1.5 |
0.5 |
|
Last Call with
Carson Daly |
NBC |
1.1 |
0.4 |
|
Source: NTI
|
|
MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week Ending March 30, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Today |
NBC |
4.3 |
15 |
5.49 |
|
Good Morning
America |
ABC |
3.4 |
12 |
4.41 |
|
Early Show |
CBS |
2.1 |
7 |
2.66 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
DAYTIME RATINGS
Week Ending March 30, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Women 18-49 |
|
Network |
(millions) |
Rtg% |
|
CBS |
4.01 |
1.4 |
|
ABC |
2.85 |
1.3 |
|
NBC |
2.84 |
1.3 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
EVENING NETWORK NEWS RATINGS
Week Ending April 6, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
25-54s |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams |
NBC |
2.1 |
8.267 |
|
ABC World News with Charles Gibson |
ABC |
2.1 |
7.980 |
|
CBS Evening News with Katie Couric |
CBS |
1.5 |
5.943 |
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
|
SYNDICATION
Ranked on Households
Week Ending March 30, 2008
|
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Syndicator |
Households |
|
US
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE
|
CTD
|
7.9
|
8946
|
|
2
|
JEOPARDY
|
CTD
|
6.0
|
6765
|
|
3
|
TWO-HALF MEN-SYN (AT)
|
WB
|
5.2
|
5921
|
|
4
|
OPRAH WINFREY SHOW
|
CTD
|
4.9
|
5545
|
|
5
|
JUDGE JUDY (AT)
|
CTD
|
4.7
|
5297
|
|
6
|
FAMILY GUY-MF-SYN (AT)
|
2/T
|
4.6
|
5228
|
|
7
|
DR. PHIL SHOW (AT)
|
CTD
|
4.1
|
4661
|
|
7
|
SEINFELD (AT)
|
SPT
|
4.1
|
4617
|
|
9
|
CSI MIAMI-SYN (AT)
|
CTD
|
4.0
|
4465
|
|
10
|
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT(AT)
|
CTD
|
3.9
|
4443
|
|
11
|
EVRY LVS RAYMOND-SYN(AT)
|
CTD
|
3.8
|
4259
|
|
12
|
SEINFELD-WKND (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.4
|
3879
|
|
12
|
LAW & ORDER:SVU-SYN (AT)
|
NBU
|
3.4
|
3829
|
|
12
|
GEORGE LOPEZ (AT)
|
WB
|
3.4
|
3789
|
|
15
|
BUENA VISTA
VI
|
DAD
|
3.2
|
3665
|
|
16
|
TWO-HALF MEN WKND B (AT)
|
WB
|
3.1
|
3544
|
|
17
|
INSIDE EDITION
|
CTD
|
3.0
|
3364
|
|
17
|
KING OF QUEENS-SYN (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.0
|
3342
|
|
19
|
FRIENDS (AT)
|
WB
|
2.8
|
3171
|
|
20
|
MILLIONAIRE (AT)
|
DAD
|
2.7
|
3063
|
|
20
|
KING OF QUEENS-WKND (AT)
|
SPT
|
2.7
|
3050
|
|
22
|
LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY
|
DAD
|
2.6
|
2923
|
|
22
|
TWO-HALF MEN WKND A (AT)
|
WB
|
2.6
|
2911
|
|
24
|
GEORGE LOPEZ WKND B (AT)
|
WB
|
2.5
|
2814
|
|
25
|
JUDGE JOE BROWN (AT)
|
CTD
|
2.4
|
2751
|
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
