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These days, it's Sundays with George
By Toni Fitzgerald
Jan 10, 2008 - 1:05:17 AM
Democrats have good reason to believe they have a shot at taking back the White House in 2008, and now more so after the huge turnout for the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary. Poll after poll shows Americans are frustrated by the faltering economy and favor a major change.
So perhaps it’s no surprise, in this politically charged environment, that the fastest-growing Sunday morning talk show is hosted by a man who used to be a key Democratic player, George Stephanopoulos.
While ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” still trails longtime leader “Meet the Press,” it was the only program to grow year to year among total viewers during fourth quarter. It has also cut the gap with “Press” to the smallest margin in a decade and passed CBS’s "Face the Nation" for the first time in five years.
“Week” averaged 2.66 million total viewers in fourth quarter, up 3 percent from 2.59 million last year. That was 110,000 more than “Nation,” down 7 percent from last year’s 2.73 million, but 890,000 behind “Press,” off 11 percent from 3.98 million.
Among 25-54s, “Press” led with an average 1.22 million, followed by “Week” at 950,000 and “Week” some 40,000 behind. “Fox News Sunday” was a distant fourth in both categories, at 1.29 million total viewers and 570,000 25-54s.
It may be no coincidence that the former Democratic heartthrob, who once inspired the short-lived fanzine The Stephanopouletter, is rising. Though the 46-year-old has been on the journalism side of things for 10 years, he’s still best remembered for his tenure as a senior adviser to the Clinton White House.
Stephanopoulos has strived to distance himself from those roots, avoiding softball questions to Democrats or too-harsh judgments of Republicans. But during interviews with Hillary Clinton, for example, his past still comes up.
While appearing on his show last weekend, Clinton mentioned that as first lady she had never attended a National Security Council meeting, reminding her interviewer, “You were there. I think you can vouch for that.”
Stephanopoulos' show has been rising for a while, as he becomes more comfortable in his role and draws better guests. Even if the perception is wrong--Stephanopoulos really has no inside track on the Democrats--it's certainly not hurting him.
That's not likely to end anytime soon. The Democratic presidential nomination contest has become extremely heated after Clinton’s unexpected New Hampshire victory and former President Bill Clinton’s stinging attacks on rival Barack Obama.
Democratic turnout for the New Hampshire and Iowa elections was way up over 2004, reflecting the current mood of the country. With President Bush’s approval numbers still low and Americans worried about a recession, analysts think Democrats have a good chance of winning the presidency.
A poll released this week by Rasmussen Reports finds that two thirds of Americans believe Obama is at least somewhat likely to win the national election if he receives his party’s nomination. Fifty-five percent believe Clinton will.
Just 48 percent believe John McCain, the top-ranking Republican, would be somewhat likely to win if nominated.
Meanwhile, for the week ended Dec. 30, NBC’s “Meet the Press” finished first among the Sunday morning shows in total viewers with 3.59 million tuning in and first among viewers 25-54 with a 1.0 rating. ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” was second in viewers with 2.63 million and among 25-54s with a 0.8, with CBS’s “Face the Nation” pulling 2.59 million viewers and a 0.7 among 25-54s. “Fox News Sunday” was fourth in viewers with 1.28 million and among 25-54s with a 0.5.
In other dayparts, NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” finished first for the week in late night, averaging 3.5 million total viewers and a 1.0 rating among adults 18-49. ABC’s “Nightline” had 3.1 million viewers and a 0.9 rating in the demo, with CBS’s “The Late Show with David Letterman” bringing in 2.9 million viewers and a 0.9 18-49 rating. In late-late night, CBS’s “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” had 1.6 million total viewers and a 0.5 in 18-49s, with NBC’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” at 1.5 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 0.8 million viewers and a 0.3 among 18-49s.
In morning shows, NBC’s “Today” was first with 4.5 million total viewers and a 3.5 household rating and 14 share, followed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” with 3.9 million viewers and a 3.0/12. CBS’s “Early Show” was third with 2.8 million total viewers and a 2.2/8.
CBS had the largest full daytime audience, averaging 4.16 million viewers, and was tied for first among women 18-49 with a 1.4 rating. NBC had the second-largest audience, averaging 2.95 million viewers, and was tied for first among women 18-49 with a 1.4 rating. ABC had a full daytime audience of 2.94 million and also was third among women 18-49 with a 1.3 rating.
In evening network news for the week ended Jan. 6, NBC’s “Nightly News with Brian Williams” was first among total viewers, averaging 9.81 million, and tied for first among 25-54s with a 2.4 average rating. ABC’s “World News with Charles Gibson” was second in viewers, averaging 8.99 million, and tied for first among 25-54s with a 2.2, while CBS’s “Evening News with Katie Couric” was third for the week with 7.05 million total viewers and a 1.9 25-54 rating.
|
SUNDAY MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week ending December 30, 2007
Sunday averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
|
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Adults 25-54 |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Meet the Press |
NBC |
2.8 |
8 |
1.0 |
3.594 |
|
This Week With George Stephanopoulos |
ABC |
1.8 |
5 |
0.8 |
2.625 |
|
Face the Nation |
CBS |
1.9 |
5 |
0.7 |
2.586 |
|
News Sunday |
Fox |
1.0 |
3 |
0.5 |
1.283 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
LATE-NIGHT RATINGS
Week Ending December 30, 2007
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
People 2+ |
Adults 18-49 |
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Rtg% |
|
Tonight Show with Jay Leno |
NBC |
3.5 |
1.0 |
|
Nightline |
ABC |
3.1 |
0.9 |
|
Late Show with David Letterman |
CBS |
2.9 |
0.9 |
|
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson |
CBS |
1.6 |
0.5 |
|
Late Night with Conan O’Brien |
NBC |
1.5 |
0.6 |
|
Jimmy Kimmel Live |
ABC |
1.5 |
0.5 |
|
Last Call with
Carson Daly |
NBC |
0.8 |
0.3 |
|
Source: NTI
|
|
MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week Ending December 30, 2007
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Today |
NBC |
3.5 |
14 |
4.5 |
|
Good Morning
America |
ABC |
3.0 |
12 |
3.9 |
|
Early Show |
CBS |
2.2 |
8 |
2.8 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
DAYTIME RATINGS
Week Ending December 30, 2007
Five-day averages |
|
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Women 18-49 |
|
Network |
(millions) |
Rtg% |
|
CBS |
4.16 |
1.4 |
|
NBC |
2.95 |
1.4 |
|
ABC |
2.94 |
1.3 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
EVENING NETWORK NEWS RATINGS
Week Ending January 6, 2007
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
25-54s |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams |
NBC |
2.4 |
9.813 |
|
ABC World News with Charles Gibson |
ABC |
2.2 |
8.999 |
|
CBS Evening News with Katie Couric |
CBS |
1.9 |
7.050 |
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
|
SYNDICATION
Ranked on Households
Week Ending December 23, 2007
|
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Syndicator |
Households |
|
US
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1
|
ESPN NFL REGULAR SEASON
|
ESP
|
9
|
14244
|
|
2
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE
|
CTD
|
7.7
|
11824
|
|
3
|
JEOPARDY
|
CTD
|
6.4
|
9749
|
|
4
|
JUDGE JUDY (AT)
|
CTD
|
5.2
|
7057
|
|
5
|
TWO-HALF MEN-SYN (AT)
|
WB
|
4.9
|
7470
|
|
6
|
OPRAH WINFREY SHOW
|
CTD
|
4.6
|
6051
|
|
6
|
FAMILY GUY-MF-SYN (AT)
|
2/T
|
4.6
|
6931
|
|
8
|
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT(AT)
|
CTD
|
4.5
|
6388
|
|
9
|
EVRY LVS RAYMOND-SYN(AT)
|
CTD
|
4.4
|
6382
|
|
10
|
SEINFELD (AT)
|
SPT
|
4.2
|
5945
|
|
10
|
CSI MIAMI-SYN (AT)
|
CTD
|
4.2
|
6049
|
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
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