By Elizabeth White

    Last week, just as NBC's soap opera "Passions" wrapped a storyline about characters descending into hell to fight evil demons created by witchcraft, the network moved into a first-place tie with ABC in the season-to-date ratings among women 18-49 for the first time in NBC’s history.
    And despite what the critics may say about the network’s supernatural soaps, it wasn’t witchcraft that put NBC at the top of the demographic during daytime.
    Instead, its higher rating this season has been more the result of a reduced schedule and an aggressive marketing approach than any demonic possession.
    So far, through 30 weeks of the season, NBC has a 2.2/14 daytime rating and share among women 18-49, up 10 percent from last year. ABC has a 2.2/15, down 12 percent, and CBS has a 2.1/15, down 5 percent.
    As if those numbers weren’t close enough already, media buyers and rival networks point out that NBC also programs fewer hours than the other two networks, a change that happened recently enough to still spike NBC’s numbers this season.
     "Addition by subtraction is a significant part," says Sam Armando, assistant media director for national TV research at Starcom Worldwide. "‘Sunset Beach’ aired through fourth-quarter 1999. That's going to boost their ratings by taking away the lowest show."
     Julie Friedlander, managing director of national television at Mindshare, agrees. 
    "NBC was having trouble with their larger schedule. They were having clearance problems. Now they've got a solid two-hour block," she says.
   It’s an advantage NBC executives readily concede.
    "It’s absolutely easier to do better with two than with four-and-a-half hours," says Sheraton Kalouria, senior vice president of NBC daytime. "It allowed us to focus our resources, and it permits us to really concentrate on those two core shows.
    "But advertisers buying a run of schedule are looking for the highest average rating, and that's what we're giving," he says.
    NBC reaching first place in the season-to-date ratings also marks the first time that any network has been first in the season standings for all major dayparts and demographics. That's a cross-promotional advantage that is not lost on either media buyers or NBC.
    "NBC now has less to contend with. But they also have a great platform to promote from in ‘The Today Show,’" says Chris Allen, national broadcast supervisor for GSD&M.
    Kalouria says, "We do more promotion than anyone else. We also advertise our soaps in the ‘Enquirer’ and ‘Star’ because that’s an audience for us."
    Yet fewer hours and the marketing campaign don’t fully explain NBC’s higher rating, nor do they suggest that ABC and CBS will cut programming hours in an attempt to boost ratings. After all, only one-tenth of a rating point separates the three networks in the season-to-date ratings among women 18-49.
    "ABC and CBS’s strength is women 25-54," says Armando. "I don’t see CBS changing what they’re doing because of NBC. They’re going to find their own audience."
    But what the other networks may envy about NBC’s soaps is their ability to attract and hold a younger audience. "Days of Our Lives" is tied for second-place among women 18-49 and is earning the same demographic rating as last season, while "Passions," ranked eighth, is up 45 percent from last season.
    "We wanted our shows cleared in pattern and sequence—‘Days’ at 1 p.m. and ‘Passions’ at 2 p.m. around the country," says Kalouria. " ‘Days’ was moved around, and what we’re seeing now is the audience finding it. ‘Passions’ has gained some attention because of the supernatural. The ratings are now catching up with the buzz."
    Among younger viewers, NBC’s growth is even more dramatic. While rising 38 percent in daytime rating among women 18-49 during the fourth quarter 2000 versus the fourth quarter 1999, the network’s daytime rating increased 50 percent among women 18-34.
    "Passions" is currently tied for second place among women 18-34 in the season-to-date ratings.
    Since soaps can be on the air for decades, media buyers also point out that the age of a network’s soaps is cyclical.
     "NBC had ‘Days,’ and took a chance on ‘Passions,’ and they now have a nice block with the younger skew. They've carved out a nice target," says Friedlander.
     "‘Days’ is going to someday age like every other soap. ABC is now trying to refresh their audience. They recognize that you’ve got to bring in fresh viewers. But NBC has now done that."

May 9, 2001 © 2001 Media Life

-Elizabeth White is a staff writer for Media Life

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