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for syndicated television
Booted into the basement by election folderol
By Kevin Downey
Wish the folks in syndicated TV a happy New Year. They're going to need all the encouragement they can get.
Already hurting from falling ratings, syndicated television suffered mightily during the November sweeps when viewers in large numbers turned their attention to the presidential election and, it appears, their TV dials to network and cable news shows.
In fact, out of 82 returning shows in November, 70 had significant declines compared to last year.
And few of the new shows this season managed to lure viewers to syndication. Perhaps most symbolic of that failure is "Dr. Laura."
While it surely generated the most attention at the beginning of the season, largely through gays protesting the show's host and her conservative stances, the show has fallen into ratings obscurity.
Ratings tumbled to an average 1.2 among households following a number of attempts at reworking the show’s format, shifted time slots, ongoing protests, and the show’s inability to capitalize on the host’s successful radio show.
"Dr. Laura" is now firmly among the lowest-rated talk shows in syndication.
But the problems of that one show, while grim, are only the beginning of syndication’s troubles.
It’s difficult to pinpoint just how much the presidential election coverage hurt syndication. But whatever impact it had, it came on top of a number of problems that have long plagued syndication.
They include the failure to produce breakout hits, a continuing migration of viewers to cable, and the loss of time slots to the WB and UPN.
These ills have hurt syndication’s biggest hits.
"Oprah" went down 10 percent this November compared to last year, "Judge Judy" fell by 11 percent, and "Jerry Springer" continued to have troubles, despite a retooled format, with a 23 percent decline in ratings.
Those are the findings of a report recently released by The Syndicated Network Television Association.
Among the talk shows that have dominated the syndicated TV landscape for years, a fall in ratings has effected virtually every long-running hit.
"Jenny Jones" was down 8 percent, "Montel Williams" was down 10 percent, "Queen Latifah," already one of the lowest-rated talkers, went down 5 percent, "Ricki Lake" was down 14 percent, "Rosie O’Donnell" was down 13 percent, and "Sally" fell 24 percent.
The lone exception to the overall fall was "Maury," which improved its ratings by a slim 1 percent.
Falling ratings have hit the court shows hard as well.
While the shows seemed to hold the promise of jump-starting syndication just a year or two ago, every returning show had lower ratings compared to last November.
"Divorce Court" was down 7 percent, "Judge Joe Brown" fell by 7 percent, and even low-rated shows have fallen. "The People’s Court," for example, tumbled 26 percent from an already low starting off point, to a 1.9 household rating.
Among this year's new shows, "Dr. Laura" is hardly the only one to suffer viewer disinterest.
"Men are from Mars / Women are from Venus," for example, averaged a 0.8 household rating. That put it in an overall tie for the second-lowest rated show geared toward daytime audiences.
Among the shows that "Men" tied with at the bottom was "Moral Court," a new court show. Others like "Curtis Court," which had a 2.0 in November, fared little better.
Of course, there are bright spots in syndicated television. The problem is, the bright spots are few and far between.
Longer-running shows like "Live with Regis," went up compared to last November. That show, sans Kathie Lee, was up 8 percent, to a 3.8 rating.
Other shows had increases on relatively low ratings.
"Blind Date," for example, was up 28 percent, to a 2.0 household rating. "Family Feud," was up 10 percent, to a 2.5, and "Ron Hazelton’s House Calls" was up 40 percent to a 1.0.
The science fiction show, "Andromeda," was the highest rated among new original series. The show had a 4.0 household rating and ranked No. 8 among originals and shows previously seen on the networks, or the so called off-net shows.
|
HOUSEHOLD
RATINGS |
|||
| DAYTIME PROGRAMS | |||
|
Show |
AVG |
AVG |
% CHANGE |
|
B.SMITH |
0.9 |
1.0 |
-10% |
|
BETTER HMS.&GARD./BUENA VISTA |
0.7 |
0.9 |
-18% |
|
CURTIS COURT/KING WORLD |
2.0 |
|
|
|
DIVORCE COURT/TWENTIETH |
4.0 |
4.3 |
-7% |
|
DR. LAURA/PARAMOUNT |
1.2 |
|
|
|
JENNY JONES/WARNER BROS. |
2.2 |
2.4 |
-8% |
|
JERRY SPRINGER/STUDIOS USA |
3.8 |
5.0 |
-23% |
|
JUDGE HATCHETT/COLUMBIA |
2.5 |
|
|
|
JUDGE JOE BROWN/PARAMOUNT |
5.1 |
5.5 |
-7% |
|
JUDGE JUDY/PARAMOUNT |
9.6 |
10.8 |
-11% |
|
JUDGE MATHIS/WARNER BROS. |
2.1 |
2.2 |
-3% |
|
JUDGE MILLS LANE/PARAMOUNT |
2.1 |
2.9 |
-28% |
|
LIVE-REGIS/BUENA VISTA |
3.8 |
3.5 |
8% |
|
LIVING BETTER/KING WORLD |
0.8 |
0.9 |
-13% |
|
MARS-VENUS/COLUMBIA |
0.8 |
|
|
|
MARTHA STEWART M-F/M.STEWART |
1.5 |
1.6 |
-4% |
|
MARTHA STEWART WKD./M.STEWART |
1.2 |
1.3 |
-9% |
|
MAURY/STUDIOS USA |
3.5 |
3.5 |
1% |
|
MONTEL WILLIAMS/PARAMOUNT |
3.1 |
3.5 |
-10% |
|
MORAL COURT/WARNER BROS. |
0.8 |
|
|
|
PEOPLE'S COURT/WARNER BROS. |
1.9 |
2.5 |
-26% |
|
POWER OF ATTORNEY/TWENTIETH |
3.0 |
|
|
|
QUEEN LATIFAH/WARNER BROS. |
1.2 |
1.3 |
-5% |
|
RICKI LAKE/COLUMBIA |
2.6 |
3.0 |
-14% |
|
ROSIE O'DONNELL/WARNER BROS. |
3.1 |
3.6 |
-13% |
|
SALLY/STUDIOS USA |
2.6 |
3.4 |
-24% |
| NEWSMAGAZINE PROGRAMS | |||
|
Show |
AVG |
AVG |
% CHANGE |
|
ACC. HLLYWD.M-F/WARNER BROS. |
2.4 |
2.2 |
9% |
|
ACC. HLLYWD.WKD./WARNER BROS. |
1.7 |
1.8 |
-6% |
|
ENTERT. TONIGHT M-F/PARAMOUNT |
6.2 |
6.4 |
-3% |
|
ENTERT. TONIGHT WKN/PARAMOUNT |
3.9 |
3.8 |
2% |
|
EXTRA M-F/WARNER BROS. |
3.2 |
3.8 |
-16% |
|
EXTRA WKND/WARNER BROS. |
2.2 |
2.7 |
-18% |
|
INSIDE EDITION M-F/KING WORLD |
3.1 |
3.0 |
3% |
|
INSIDE EDITION WKND/KING WORLD |
1.5 |
1.9 |
-19% |
|
NATIONAL ENQUIRER/MGM |
1.1 |
1.9 |
-40% |
|
REAL TV/PARAMOUNT |
1.6 |
2.4 |
-35% |
|
SERIES |
|||
|
Show |
AVG |
AVG |
% CHANGE |
|
AMERICAN ATHLETE |
0.8 |
0.6 |
37% |
|
ANDROMEDA/TRIBUNE |
4.0 |
|
|
|
ANIMAL RESCUE/TRIBUNE |
0.6 |
0.9 |
-31% |
|
ARREST & TRIAL/STUDIOS USA |
2.2 |
|
|
|
BACK2BACK ACTION /STUDIOS USA |
2.0 |
|
|
|
BATTLEDOME/COLUMBIA |
1.4 |
2.0 |
-31% |
|
BAYWATCH HAWAII/PEARSON |
2.2 |
3.0 |
-27% |
|
BEASTMASTER/TRIBUNE |
2.3 |
2.9 |
-22% |
|
BLIND DATE/TRIBUNE |
2.0 |
1.6 |
28% |
|
BOB VILA/KING WORLD |
1.2 |
1.2 |
-3% |
|
CAROLINE IN THE CITY/KING WORLD |
1.3 |
2.1 |
-40% |
|
CHANGE OF HEART/WARNER BROS. |
2.0 |
2.7 |
-25% |
|
CINDY MARGOLIS/KING WORLD |
1.4 |
|
|
|
CLUELESS/PARAMOUNT |
1.1 |
|
|
|
COPS/TWENTIETH |
2.1 |
2.0 |
6% |
|
COSBY/TWENTIETH |
1.5 |
|
|
|
DREW CAREY/WARNER BROS. |
3.8 |
4.5 |
-15% |
|
DREW CAREY - WKND/WARNER BROS. |
2.2 |
2.6 |
-15% |
|
EARLY EDITION/KING WORLD |
1.4 |
|
|
|
EARTH: FINAL CONFLICT/TRIBUNE |
2.2 |
3.0 |
-28% |
|
EBERT&ROEPER&MOVIES/BUENA VISTA |
2.5 |
|
|
|
THE ENTERTAINERS/KICKIN' IT |
0.8 |
0.6 |
30% |
|
E.R./TURNER |
3.3 |
4.6 |
-28% |
|
FAMILY FEUD/PEARSON |
2.5 |
2.3 |
10% |
|
FRASIER/PARAMOUNT |
5.2 |
6.1 |
-15% |
|
FRIENDS/WARNER BROS. |
6.7 |
7.3 |
-8% |
|
G.MICHAEL SPTS. MACHINE/KING WORLD |
1.5 |
1.8 |
-14% |
|
GRACE UNDER FIRE/BUENA VISTA |
0.7 |
1.1 |
-33% |
|
HOLLYWOOD SQUARES/KING WORLD |
3.7 |
4.4 |
-15% |
|
HOME IMPROVEMENT/BUENA VISTA |
2.6 |
3.5 |
-26% |
|
HOUSECALLS/BUENA VISTA |
1.3 |
|
|
|
IN THE HOUSE/WARNER BROS. |
1.0 |
1.6 |
-40% |
|
IT'S SHOWTIME AT APOLLO/KING WORLD |
1.7 |
1.7 |
0% |
|
JACK HANNA/PEARSON |
1.8 |
2.2 |
-16% |
|
JAMIE FOXX/WARNER BROS. |
1.5 |
|
|
|
JEOPARDY/KING WORLD |
8.3 |
9.4 |
-12% |
|
LOST WORLD/TRIBUNE |
2.0 |
2.0 |
-2% |
|
LOVER OR LOSER/STUDIOS USA |
0.5 |
|
|
|
MAD ABOUT YOU/TWENTIETH |
1.0 |
1.7 |
-39% |
|
MALIBU C.A./TRIBUNE |
1.0 |
1.5 |
-31% |
|
MARRIED, WITH CHILDREN/COLUMBIA |
1.8 |
2.0 |
-12% |
|
MAXIMUM EXPOSURE/PARAMOUNT |
2.2 |
|
|
|
MOESHA/AFRICAN HERITAGE NET. |
1.5 |
|
|
|
THE NANNY/COLUMBIA |
1.8 |
2.0 |
-9% |
|
NASH BRIDGES/PARAMOUNT |
2.5 |
|
|
|
NY UNDERCOVER/AFRICAN HERITAGE |
1.0 |
2.0 |
-50% |
|
NYPD BLUE/TWENTIETH |
1.7 |
1.9 |
-11% |
|
OPRAH/KING WORLD |
6.0 |
6.6 |
-10% |
|
OUTER LIMITS/MGM |
1.6 |
1.8 |
-11% |
|
PARENTHOOD/WARNER BROS. |
0.9 |
1.6 |
-45% |
|
THE PRETENDER/TWENTIETH |
1.7 |
|
|
|
PROFILER/BUENA VISTA |
2.1 |
|
|
|
QUEEN OF SWORDS/PARAMOUNT |
1.6 |
|
|
|
REBECA'S GARDEN/KING WORLD |
1.1 |
1.2 |
-5% |
|
RELIC HUNTER/PARAMOUNT |
1.8 |
2.2 |
-16% |
|
R.HAZELTON'S HOUSE CALLS/TRIBUNE |
1.0 |
0.7 |
40% |
|
SABRINA:TEENAGE WITCH/PARAMOUNT |
1.9 |
|
|
|
SEINFELD M-F/COLUMBIA |
5.4 |
6.2 |
-14% |
|
SEINFELD - WKND/COLUMBIA |
3.5 |
4.8 |
-26% |
|
7TH HEAVEN/PARAMOUNT |
1.6 |
|
|
|
SEX WARS/MGM |
0.7 |
|
|
|
SHEENA/COLUMBIA |
2.1 |
|
|
|
SISTER, SISTER/PARAMOUNT |
1.1 |
2.4 |
-56% |
|
SPIN CITY/PARAMOUNT |
3.4 |
|
|
|
STARGATE SG-1/MGM |
3.3 |
3.5 |
-5% |
|
STAR TREK VOYAGER/PARAMOUNT |
1.4 |
1.4 |
-3% |
|
STREET SMARTS/WARNER BROS. |
2.0 |
|
|
|
SUDDENLY SUSAN/WARNER BROS. |
1.6 |
|
|
|
3RD ROCK FROM SUN/BUENA VISTA |
3.4 |
3.6 |
-4% |
|
TO TELL THE TRUTH/PEARSON |
1.8 |
|
|
|
UNHAPPILY EVER AFTER/BUENA VISTA |
0.9 |
1.3 |
-31% |
|
VIP/COLUMBIA |
2.7 |
3.0 |
-9% |
|
WAYANS BROTHERS/WARNER BROS. |
1.3 |
2.3 |
-43% |
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE/KING WORLD |
10.4 |
11.4 |
-9% |
|
X-FILES/TWENTIETH |
4.1 |
4.7 |
-12% |
|
XENA/STUDIOS USA |
3.7 |
3.8 |
-2% |
|
YOUR BIG BREAK/BUENA VISTA |
1.8 |
2.1 |
-13% |
|
Source: The Syndicated Network Television Association, 2000 |
|||
|
SYNDICATION
HOUSEHOLD RATINGS |
||||||
|
DAYTIME PROGRAMS |
||||||
|
Shows |
10/30 |
11/6 |
11/13 |
11/20 |
11/27 |
AVG |
|
B.SMITH |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.7 |
1.3 |
0.9 |
0.9 |
|
BETTER HMS.&GARD./BUENA VISTA |
0.7 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.9 |
0.5 |
0.7 |
|
CURTIS COURT/KING WORLD |
2.0 |
2.1 |
2.1 |
1.9 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
|
DIVORCE COURT/TWENTIETH |
4.2 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
3.8 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
|
DR. LAURA/PARAMOUNT |
1.3 |
1.3 |
1.2 |
1.2 |
1.2 |
1.2 |
|
JENNY JONES/WARNER BROS. |
2.3 |
2.3 |
2.1 |
2.2 |
2.1 |
2.2 |
|
JERRY SPRINGER/STUDIOS USA |
3.7 |
3.9 |
3.9 |
3.9 |
3.8 |
3.8 |
|
JUDGE HATCHETT/COLUMBIA |
2.5 |
2.4 |
2.6 |
2.4 |
2.6 |
2.5 |
|
JUDGE JOE BROWN/PARAMOUNT |
5.1 |
5.4 |
5.2 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
5.1 |
|
JUDGE JUDY/PARAMOUNT |
9.4 |
9.6 |
9.7 |
9.6 |
9.9 |
9.6 |
|
JUDGE MATHIS/WARNER BROS. |
2.0 |
2.2 |
2.1 |
2.2 |
2.2 |
2.1 |
|
JUDGE MILLS LANE/PARAMOUNT |
2.1 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
2.1 |
2.2 |
2.1 |
|
LIVE-REGIS/BUENA VISTA |
3.7 |
4.2 |
3.7 |
3.7 |
3.6 |
3.8 |
|
LIVING BETTER/KING WORLD |
0.7 |
0.7 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.9 |
0.8 |
|
MARS-VENUS/COLUMBIA |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.7 |
0.9 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
|
MARTHA STEWART M-F/M.STEWART |
1.5 |
1.6 |
1.6 |
1.5 |
1.5 |
1.5 |
|
MARTHA STEWART WKD./M.STEWART |
1.1 |
1.4 |
1.2 |
1.1 |
1.1 |
1.2 |
|
MAURY/STUDIOS USA |
3.6 |
3.4 |
3.5 |
3.7 |
3.5 |
3.5 |
|
MONTEL WILLIAMS/PARAMOUNT |
2.8 |
3.4 |
3.3 |
3.3 |
2.9 |
3.1 |
|
MORAL COURT/WARNER BROS. |
0.7 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.9 |
0.8 |
|
PEOPLE'S COURT/WARNER BROS. |
1.9 |
1.9 |
1.8 |
1.8 |
1.9 |
1.9 |
|
POWER OF ATTORNEY/TWENTIETH |
3.0 |
3.1 |
3.1 |
3.0 |
2.7 |
3.0 |
|
QUEEN LATIFAH/WARNER BROS. |
1.5 |
1.2 |
1.1 |
1.2 |
1.2 |
1.2 |
|
RICKI LAKE/COLUMBIA |
2.4 |
2.6 |
2.5 |
2.7 |
2.7 |
2.6 |
|
ROSIE O'DONNELL/WARNER BROS. |
3.2 |
3.2 |
3.1 |
2.8 |
3.3 |
3.1 |
|
SALLY/STUDIOS USA |
2.4 |
2.8 |
2.6 |
2.5 |
2.6 |
2.6 |
|
NEWSMAGAZINE PROGRAMS |
||||||
|
Show |
10/30 |
11/6 |
11/13 |
11/20 |
11/27 |
AVG. |
|
ACC. HLLYWD.M-F/WARNER BROS. |
2.4 |
2.1 |
2.5 |
2.4 |
2.6 |
2.4 |
|
ACC. HLLYWD.WKD./WARNER BROS. |
1.6 |
1.4 |
1.9 |
1.8 |
1.8 |
1.7 |
|
ENTERT. TONIGHT M-F/PARAMOUNT |
6.4 |
5.9 |
6.2 |
5.9 |
6.5 |
6.2 |
|
ENTERT. TONIGHT WKN/PARAMOUNT |
3.6 |
4.1 |
4.3 |
4.3 |
3.0 |
3.9 |
|
EXTRA M-F/WARNER BROS. |
3.1 |
2.9 |
3.3 |
3.2 |
3.4 |
3.2 |
|
EXTRA WKND/WARNER BROS. |
2.1 |
2.2 |
2.4 |
2.3 |
2.1 |
2.2 |
|
INSIDE EDITION M-F/KING WORLD |
3.1 |
3.0 |
3.3 |
3.0 |
3.1 |
3.1 |
|
INSIDE EDITION WKND/KING WORLD |
1.5 |
1.3 |
1.7 |
1.5 |
1.7 |
1.5 |
|
NATIONAL ENQUIRER/MGM |
1.1 |
1.2 |
1.2 |
1.2 |
1.0 |
1.1 |
|
REAL TV/PARAMOUNT |
0.7 |
1.5 |
1.9 |
1.8 |
1.9 |
1.6 |
|
SERIES |
||||||
|
Show |
10/30 |
11/6 |
11/13 |
11/20 |
11/27 |
AVG. |
|
AMERICAN ATHLETE |
0.9 |
0.9 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.7 |
0.8 |
|
ANDROMEDA/TRIBUNE |
4.4 |
4.0 |
3.9 |
3.9 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
|
ANIMAL RESCUE/TRIBUNE |
0.7 |
0.6 |
0.6 |
0.5 |
0.7 |
0.6 |
|
ARREST & TRIAL/STUDIOS USA |
2.2 |
2.1 |
2.1 |
2.0 |
2.4 |
2.2 |
|
BACK2BACK ACTION /STUDIOS USA |
1.8 |
2.1 |
1.9 |
2.2 |
1.9 |
2.0 |
|
BATTLEDOME/COLUMBIA |
1.4 |
1.3 |
1.4 |
1.6 |
1.2 |
1.4 |
|
BAYWATCH HAWAII/PEARSON |
2.1 |
2.1 |
2.1 |
2.5 |
2.2 |
2.2 |
|
BEASTMASTER/TRIBUNE |
2.3 |
2.2 |
2.3 |
2.2 |
2.3 |
2.3 |
|
BLIND DATE/TRIBUNE |
1.8 |
2.0 |
2.1 |
2.1 |
2.2 |
2.0 |
|
BOB VILA/KING WORLD |
1.2 |
1.0 |
1.4 |
1.1 |
1.1 |
1.2 |
|
CAROLINE IN THE CITY/KING WORLD |
1.2 |
1.2 |
1.4 |
1.3 |
1.2 |
1.3 |
|
CHANGE OF HEART/WARNER BROS. |
2.0 |
2.1 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
|
CINDY MARGOLIS/KING WORLD |
1.4 |
1.5 |
1.5 |
1.4 |
1.4 |
1.4 |
|
CLUELESS/PARAMOUNT |
1.1 |
1.1 |
1.1 |
1.1 |
1.0 |
1.1 |
|
COPS/TWENTIETH |
2.0 |
2.3 |
2.1 |
2.0 |
2.2 |
2.1 |
|
COSBY/TWENTIETH |
1.5 |
1.5 |
1.4 |
1.4 |
1.5 |
1.5 |
|
DREW CAREY/WARNER BROS. |
4.0 |
3.8 |
3.9 |
3.6 |
3.9 |
3.8 |
|
DREW CAREY - WKND/WARNER BROS. |
2.3 |
2.3 |
2.0 |
2.1 |
2.3 |
2.2 |
|
EARLY EDITION/KING WORLD |
1.2 |
1.5 |
1.2 |
1.3 |
1.7 |
1.4 |
|
EARTH: FINAL CONFLICT |
2.4 |
2.5 |
2.4 |
1.3 |
2.2 |
2.2 |
|
EBERT&ROEPER&MOVIES |
2.5 |
2.8 |
2.2 |
2.6 |
2.4 |
2.5 |
|
THE ENTERTAINERS/KICKIN' IT |
0.9 |
0.6 |
0.9 |
0.8 |
0.7 |
0.8 |
|
E.R./TURNER |
3.2 |
3.5 |
3.1 |
|||