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'Grammys' hits a
sour note in ratings


Yearly awards show averages a 6.9 rating in 18-49s

Feb 11, 2008

After the star-less Golden Globes and People’s Choice Awards took a ratings hit last month, Hollywood glittered bright during last night’s Grammy Awards, with big names like Beyonce, Kanye West and Amy Winehouse performing.

The result, however, wasn’t quite the post-strike celebration that carrier CBS may have hoped for.

From 8 to 11 p.m. the Grammys averaged a 6.9 adults 18-49 rating, according to Nielsen overnights, down 17 percent from last year’s 8.3 final rating. That may be the lowest-rated Grammys in at least a decade, though the numbers could change when final ratings are released.

Fast nationals measure timeslot and not actual program data.

Among total viewers, the Grammys averaged 18.2 million, down from 20 million last year and potentially the third-least-watched ever, behind 17 million in 2006 and 17.3 million in 1995.

The 2006 telecast aired opposite “American Idol,” prompting organizers to move the show to Sunday last year. Last night, the Grammys still faced stiff competition from ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” which averaged a 6.1 at 9 p.m.

But the strike may still be sapping the broadcast networks’ strength. The writers agreed not to boycott the show as a goodwill gesture during negotiations with producers, but the strike has already led to a decline in ratings for the networks.

CBS, which is just now launching its midseason schedule, has been especially hard hit, airing mainly low-rated reruns the past few weeks with little scripted fare, meaning it didn’t have a big platform to promote the show. Last year CBS carried the Super Bowl and had a great place to promote the upcoming awards.

Still, even a down Grammys produce big ratings. CBS led the night among viewers 18-49 with a 5.8 average overnight rating and a 14 share. ABC was second at 4.3/10, Fox third at 3.2/8, NBC fourth at 2.1/5, Univision fifth at 1.1/3 and CW sixth at 0.3/1.
 
At 7 p.m. Fox was first with a 3.2 for its final hour of coverage of the NFL Pro Bowl, followed by ABC with a 3.0 for “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” CBS was third with a 2.5 for “60 Minutes,” NBC fourth with a 1.3 for a repeat of “American Gladiators,” Univision fifth with a 1.1 for “Hora Pico” and “Chavo Animado,” and CW sixth with a 0.3 for “CW Now” (0.3) and a repeat of “Everybody Hates Chris.”
 
CBS took over at 8 p.m. with a 6.8 for its first hour of the Grammys, with ABC second with a 4.8 for its first hour of “Home Edition.” Fox was third with a 2.9 average for a repeat of “The Simpsons” and a new “King of the Hill” (2.8), NBC fourth with a 1.5 for another “American Gladiators” repeat, Univision fifth with a 1.1 average for the special “Gran Noche de los Guapos” and the start of “5 Magnificos,” and CW sixth with a 0.4 for repeats of “Everybody Hates Chris” and “Aliens in America.”
 
At 9 p.m. CBS led again with a 7.2 for the Grammys, while ABC finished second again with a 6.1 for its second hour of “Home Edition.” Fox was third with a 3.3 for an hour of “Family Guy” repeats, NBC fourth with a 2.3 for its first hour of “100 Most Outrageous Moments,” Univision fifth with a 1.2 for “Magnificos” and CW sixth with a 0.3 for repeats of “Girlfriends” and “The Game.”
 
And CBS finished the night in the lead at 10 p.m. with a 6.6 for more Grammys coverage, followed by NBC with a 3.3 for the second half of “Moments.” ABC was third with a 3.1 for “Brothers & Sisters” and Univision fourth with a 1.3 for its last hour of “Magnificos.”
 
Among households, CBS was first for the night with a 10.3 average overnight rating and a 16 share. ABC was second at 7.2/11, Fox third at 4.5/7, NBC fourth at 3.4/5, Univision fifth at 1.3/2 and CW sixth at 0.7/1.



Toni Fitzgerald is a staff writer for Media Life.




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