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Broadcast recap

Broadcast’s big challenges at midseason

Here's what each network must do to keep momentum

By Toni Fitzgerald

December 12, 2012

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High hopes: NBC's new drama 'Do No Harm' premieres Jan. 31 at 10 p.m.

NBC is wrapping up the fall in dominant fashion, having won 10 of 11 weeks this fall and posting its best fourth quarter adults 18-49 average since 2007.

But there are a lot of questions looming over the network at midseason, the biggest being whether it can continue this hot streak when its two top-rated shows, “Sunday Night Football” and “The Voice,” go on hiatus next month.

To maintain its momentum NBC will need strong performances from its crop of new shows, three of which (“Revolution,” “Go On” and “The New Normal”) have gotten a huge boost from airing behind “Voice” this fall.

“Voice” returns in March. Until then the network will also need the shows returning at midseason, such as “Smash” and “Celebrity Apprentice,” to match or even improve on the middling ratings they generated last year.

And it needs at least one of its new midseason shows to become a hit. The most promising of them is “Do No Harm,” a reboot of the Jekyll and Hyde tale featuring a troubled neurosurgeon.

The drama is taking over the 10 p.m. Thursday spot next month, where NBC hasn’t had a hit since “ER.” Should “Harm” do well, it would be a crowning achievement in the network’s comeback.

NBC is the only Big Five network seeing year-to-year gains this fall. Here’s what the other networks need to do at midseason to get back on track.

ABC

The network needs to put “Dancing with the Stars” on a break this spring. The franchise has been worn down by airing twice a year, as evidenced by fall’s record low ratings.

That would force ABC to address its weak Monday and Tuesday lineups, which fall apart at midseason when “Stars” is on hiatus. A huge overhaul of both nights will be imperative to any spring improvements.

CBS

CBS’s struggles are almost as surprising as NBC’s gains. Its new shows are a major problem. Two have already been canceled, and though “Vegas” has drawn strong numbers in total viewers, its 18-49 average is low.

At midseason CBS must introduce at least one new drama that makes it to season two. The network will be replacing at least one drama this May, as “CSI: NY” is expected to be canceled, and it could be axing more, based on low ratings for “The Good Wife” and “The Mentalist.”

The network also needs to get agreements in place for “Two and a Half Men” and “How I Met Your Mother” to return next fall. Neither has a deal in place for another season, and because CBS’s new comedy development was very weak this year, “Men” and “Mother” need to stick around.

Fox

The single most important thing for Fox is how “American Idol” performs with its new judges.

If it can maintain or improve on last season’s ratings with Nicki Minaj, Mariah Carey and Keith Urban, then the network should be able to regain first place by the end of spring.

If not, it’s time to start planning for a future without the midseason “Idol” ratings infusion Fox has become so dependent on. Plus, Monday and Tuesday are in dire need of revamping at midseason.

The CW has one of fall’s two hit shows, “Arrow,” but ratings for many returning shows have been poor. The network has several shows debuting at midseason, and at least a couple will need to stick around for next year so that the CW can lay to rest struggling programs like “90210” and “Nikita.”

Much of its midseason success will depend on “The Carrie Diaries” and “Cult,” two highly anticipated dramas. If they perform up to the hype, the network will be in good position heading into May.

***

In broadcast ratings for the week ended Dec. 9:

Among adults 18-49, NBC was first for the week with a 2.6 average rating and a 7 share, followed by Fox at 2.3/7, CBS at 2.3/6, Univision at 1.6/4, ABC at 1.5/4, CW and Telemundo at 0.6/2, ION at 0.3/1, TeleFutura at 0.2/1, Estrella at 0.1/0 and MundoFox and Azteca at 0.0/0.

Top five English-language Big Five shows (18-49s): 1. NBC's "Sunday Night Football" 7.8; 2. CBS's "The Big Bang Theory" 5.2; 3. Fox's "The OT" 4.4; Tie-4. NBC's "Football Night in America" and CBS's "Two and a Half Men" 4.0.

Top five English-language Big Five shows (total viewers): 1. NBC's "Sunday Night Football" 21.36 million; 2. CBS's "The Big Bang Theory" 16.95 million; 3 CBS's "Person of Interest" 14.18 million; 4. CBS's "Two and a Half Men" 13.50 million; 5. NBC's "Football Night in America" 12.12 million.

Show on the rise: ABC's "Scandal," Thursday, 10 p.m. The drama posted a 2.5 among 18-49s, a 14 percent increase versus the previous week's 2.2.

Show on the decline: NBC's "30 Rock," Thursday, 8 p.m. The comedy has been critically acclaimed throughout its run but it's going out with a whimper in its final season, last week slipping 15 percent week-to-week from a 1.3 to a 1.1 among viewers 18-49.

WEEKLY PRIMETIME AVERAGES BY NETWORK Ranked on Households Week Ending Dec. 9
Network	Households			People 2+			Adults 18-49
Network	Rtg%	(000)	Shr	Rtg%	(000)	Shr	Rtg%	(000)	Shr
CBS	5.9	6690	9	3.2	9360	8	2.3	2890	6
NBC	4.8	5530	8	2.7	7760	7	2.6	3250	7
ABC	3.7	4210	6	2.0	5690	5	1.5	1910	4
FOX	3.7	4210	6	2.1	6120	5	2.3	2920	7
UNI	2.0	2250	3	1.3	3860	3	1.6	1970	4
CW	1.1	1240	2	0.6	1610	1	0.6	770	2
TEL	0.8	900	1	0.5	1500	1	0.6	780	2
ION	0.8	870	1	0.4	1110	1	0.3	380	1
TF	0.3	370	1	0.2	550	0	0.2	280	1
ETV	0.1	130	0	0.1	200	0	0.1	90	0
AZA	0.1	70	0	0.0	100	0	0.0	60	0
MFX	0.0	50	0	0.0	70	0	0.0	40	0
*Each rating point is equivalent to 1 percent or 1. 142 million homes Note: Viewing estimates include same day (3 a.m.-3 a.m.) DVR playback. Source: Nielsen

SEASON-TO-DATE PRIMETIME AVERAGES BY NETWORK Ranked on Households Week Ending Dec. 9
Network	Households			People 2+			Adults 18-49
Network	Rtg%	(000)	Shr	Rtg%	(000)	Shr	Rtg%	(000)	Shr
CBS	7.4	8450	12	4.0	11640	10	2.8	3560	8
ABC	5.7	6560	9	3.1	8950	8	2.5	3210	7
NBC	5.5	6280	9	3.1	8890	8	3.2	4020	9
FOX	4.2	4750	7	2.4	6870	6	2.5	3120	7
UNI	2.0	2260	3	1.3	3760	3	1.5	1930	4
CW	1.2	1410	2	0.7	1880	2	0.8	980	2
ION	0.7	850	1	0.4	1080	1	0.3	380	1
TEL	0.7	760	1	0.4	1240	1	0.5	670	1
TF	0.4	420	1	0.2	690	1	0.3	370	1
ETV	0.1	140	0	0.1	220	0	0.1	100	0
AZA	0.1	80	0	0.0	130	0	0.1	70	0
MFX	0.0	50	0	0.0	80	0	0.0	50	0
*Each rating point is equivalent to one percent or 1. 142 million homes Note: Season-to-date estimates are a weighted average and Live+7 data, except for the most recent two weeks which are based Live+SD viewing. Source: Nielsen

TOP 25 PROGRAMS – BROADCAST Ranked on Households Week Ending Dec. 9
#	PROGRAMS	Net	HOUSEHOLDS			PERSONS 2+
#	PROGRAMS	Net	Rtg%	Shr	(000)	#	Rtg%	(000)
1	NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL	NBC	12.8	19	14578	1	7.4	21357
2	BIG BANG THEORY, THE	CBS	10.3	17	11817	2	5.9	16945
3	SUNDAY NIGHT NFL PRE-KICK	NBC	9.7	15	11100	3	5.7	16443
4	PERSON OF INTEREST	CBS	8.7	13	9981	4	4.9	14175
5	TWO AND A HALF MEN	CBS	8.4	13	9564	5	4.7	13502
6	60 MINUTES	CBS	7.7	12	8781	8	4.1	11867
7	FOOTBALL NT AMERICA PT 3	NBC	7.4	11	8413	6	4.2	12124
7	VOICE	NBC	7.4	11	8410	6	4.2	12108
9	BLUE BLOODS	CBS	7.2	13	8215	11	3.9	11172
10	CRIMINAL MINDS	CBS	7.1	11	8117	11	3.9	11326
10	OT, THE	FOX	7.1	11	8052	9	4.0	11450
10	VOICE-TUE	NBC	7.1	11	8160	9	4.0	11516
13	NCIS 9P-SPECIAL(S)	CBS	7.0	11	7985	13	3.8	11063
14	ELEMENTARY	CBS	6.7	11	7638	15	3.6	10314
15	CSI: NY	CBS	6.5	11	7431	19	3.4	9951
16	2 BROKE GIRLS	CBS	6.4	9	7306	16	3.5	10170
16	MIKE & MOLLY	CBS	6.4	10	7364	16	3.5	10226
16	SURVIVOR: PHILIPPINES	CBS	6.4	10	7360	14	3.7	10638
19	GREY'S ANATOMY	ABC	6.1	9	6927	23	3.1	9104
19	HAWAII FIVE-0	CBS	6.1	10	6986	21	3.2	9319
21	VICTORIA'S SECRET FASHION(S)	CBS	5.9	10	6743	20	3.3	9483
22	AMAZING RACE 21	CBS	5.7	8	6493	21	3.2	9346
22	CASTLE	ABC	5.7	9	6509	25	2.9	8501
24	BLAKE SHELTON CHRISTMAS(S)	NBC	5.5	9	6289	23	3.1	8882
24	RUDOLPH RED-NOSE REINDEER(S)	CBS	5.5	9	6315	16	3.5	10106
0Source: Nielsen

TOP 25 PROGRAMS – BROADCAST Adults 18-49 Week Ending Dec. 9
Rank	Program	Net	Rtg%	(000)
1	NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL	NBC	7.8	9896
2	SUNDAY NIGHT NFL PRE-KICK	NBC	5.6	7145
3	BIG BANG THEORY, THE	CBS	5.2	6578
4	OT, THE	FOX	4.4	5518
5	FOOTBALL NT AMERICA PT 3	NBC	4.0	5117
5	TWO AND A HALF MEN	CBS	4.0	5029
7	VOICE	NBC	3.9	4986
8	VICTORIA'S SECRET FASHION(S)	CBS	3.6	4583
9	2 BROKE GIRLS	CBS	3.5	4431
9	VOICE-TUE	NBC	3.5	4386
11	SIMPSONS	FOX	3.4	4299
12	HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER	CBS	3.1	3889
12	MIKE & MOLLY	CBS	3.1	3984
14	CRIMINAL MINDS	CBS	3.0	3745
14	GREY'S ANATOMY	ABC	3.0	3818
16	MODERN FAMILY	ABC	2.9	3648
16	PERSON OF INTEREST	CBS	2.9	3719
16	RUDOLPH RED-NOSE REINDEER(S)	CBS	2.9	3625
16	SURVIVOR: PHILIPPINES	CBS	2.9	3614
20	FAMILY GUY	FOX	2.8	3573
20	X-FACTOR-WED	FOX	2.8	3584
22	BLAKE SHELTON CHRISTMAS(S)	NBC	2.7	3416
23	AMAZING RACE 21	CBS	2.6	3298
24	SCANDAL	ABC	2.5	3194
24	X-FACTOR-THU	FOX	2.5	3157
1	NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL	NBC	7.8	9896
2	SUNDAY NIGHT NFL PRE-KICK	NBC	5.6	7145
3	BIG BANG THEORY, THE	CBS	5.2	6578
4	OT, THE	FOX	4.4	5518
Source: Nielsen

SPANISH-LANGUAGE TELEVISION Ranked on Households Week Ending Dec. 2
#	PROGRAMS	Net	Rtg	P2+ (000)
1	AMORES VERDADEROS M-F	UNI	18.5	4773
2	POR ELLA SOY EVA M-F	UNI	18.5	4649
3	REFUGIO PARA AMOR M-F	UNI	18.0	4287
4	AMOR BRAVIO M-F	UNI	15.2	3710
5	AMERICA CL CHESPIRITO12/2(S)-12/02/2012	UNI	11.1	3060
6	LIGA MX-LIGUILLA GF 12/2(S)-12/02/2012	UNI	10.7	2831
7	SABADO GIGANTE SAT	UNI	9.4	2138
8	C. CERRADO-ED. ESTELAR M-F	TEL	7.5	1596
9	PABLO ESCOBAR: PAT MAL M-F	TEL	6.9	1421
10	ROSA DE GUADALUPE 12/1(S)-12/01/2012	UNI	6.3	1443
11	ROSA DIAMANTE M-F	TEL	5.8	1302
12	YO ME LLAMO SUN	TEL	5.6	1323
13	CORAZON VALIENTE M-F	TEL	4.2	992
14	ROSTRO VENGANZA M-F	TEL	4.0	832
15	CINE DE IMPACTO U	TEL	3.9	978
16	CINE MILLONARIO S	TEL	3.8	1059
17	CINE DE LAS ESTREL SUN	TF	3.3	766
18	CINE DE LAS ESTREL SUN 2	TF	3.2	774
19	CINEPLEX 3 SAT	TF	2.8	636
20	CINEPLEX 2 M-S	TF	2.6	588
21	CINEPLEX M-F	TF	2.4	601
22	FUTBOL CENTRAL SAT	TF	1.8	368
23	NOTICIERO E GRATAS – M-F	ETV	1.4	310
24	ALARMA TV – M-F 10P	ETV	1.3	293
25	ESTUDIO 2 – MTWT.S. 7P	ETV	1.1	264
Source: Nielsen

HISPANIC ENGLISH-LANGUAGE VIEWING Ranked on Households Week Ending Dec. 2
#	PROGRAMS	Net	Rtg	P2+(000)
1	NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL	NBC	8.5	1964
2	DANCING W/STARS RESULTS	ABC	5.6	1130
3	SUNDAY NIGHT NFL PRE-KICK	NBC	5.5	1138
4	VOICE	NBC	5.4	1197
5	DANCING WITH THE STARS	ABC	5.0	1041
6	MODERN FAMILY	ABC	4.4	1085
7	VOICE-TUE	NBC	4.3	873
8	FOOTBALL NT AMERICA PT 3	NBC	4.1	751
9	X-FACTOR-THU	FOX	3.9	811
10	BIG BANG THEORY, THE	CBS	3.7	737
10	TWO AND A HALF MEN	CBS	3.7	704
Source: Nielsen

AFRICAN AMERICAN AUDIENCE ESTIMATES Ranked on Households Week Ending Dec. 2
#	PROGRAMS	Net	Rtg	P2+(000)
1	NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL	NBC	18.0	3614
2	SUNDAY NIGHT NFL PRE-KICK	NBC	12.8	2547
3	60 MINUTES	CBS	10.7	1964
4	SCANDAL	ABC	10.6	1996
5	FOOTBALL NT AMERICA PT 3	NBC	10.6	2082
6	CSI	CBS	8.4	1579
7	DANCING WITH THE STARS	ABC	8.1	1490
8	NCIS: LOS ANGELES	CBS	8.1	1519
9	DANCING W/STARS RESULTS	ABC	7.8	1359
10	NCIS	CBS	7.3	1424
* Ratings based on 13.65 million African American TV homes. Source: Nielsen