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NBC dominated the ratings last night, as neither CBS’s part two of “Blonde” nor Fox’s “Boot Camp” provided any serious competition to NBC’s “The West Wing” and “Law and Order.” However, NBC’s lead-off hour, “Ed,” continued to struggle against its 8 p.m. competition. Fox’s “Grounded for Life” and repeat of “That '70’s Show” won the hour among adults 18-49, while CBS’s “48 Hours” won the first half-hour in households. “Ed” won the second half-hour. Also at 8 p.m., the series finale of ABC’s “Two Guys and a Girl” finished fourth in households and third among adults 18-49. The preliminary Nielsen household rating and share and adult 18-49 rating for Wednesday night were: NBC 11.8/19 and 7.0, ABC 6.8/11 and 3.9, CBS 6.8/11 and 2.7, and Fox 6.0/10 and 4.7. On Tuesday, ABC squeaked out a win in both households and adults 18-49, edging CBS in households and Fox in the demographic. Only two of ABC’s programs won their hours—the couples edition of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” in households and “NYPD Blue” in adults 18-49—but whenever ABC didn’t win, it finished in second place. At 8 p.m. “Millionaire” was second behind Fox’s “That '70’s Show” and “Titus” in adults 18-49, at 9 p.m. ABC’s “Dharma and Greg” and “What about Joan” placed second behind NBC’s hour-long “Frasier” in both households and adults 18-49; and at 10 p.m., “NYPD Blue” was second in households to CBS’s “Judging Amy.” The preliminary Nielsen household rating and share and adult 18-49 rating for Tuesday night were: ABC 8.8/14 and 4.8, CBS 8.7/14 and 3.1, NBC 7.3/12 and 4.2, and Fox 6.0/10 and 4.7.
New titles aplenty at Time Inc.'s People Group
It was a busy day yesterday for the people at People. A good deal of job shuffling and organizational chart redrawing resulted in two new group presidents for Time Inc. and a new publisher for the year-old Real Simple magazine. Nora McAniff, previously president of People Weekly, has been named group president of the People Group, which includes People, Teen People and People en Español. Ann Jackson, group publisher of Real Simple, has been elevated to group publisher of the Parenting/Real Simple Group. Reporting to her will be Andy Sareyan, the new president of the Parenting Group, which includes Parenting, Family Life, Healthy Pregnancy and Baby Talk. Sareyan, who was previously launch publisher of Real Simple, replaces John Hartig, who is leaving the company. Real Simple associate publisher Robin Domeniconi has been promoted to publisher.
'Moneyline' slides on Lou's second day back
It didn’t take the revamped "Moneyline" long to run into its first ratings setback. On the second evening with Lou Dobbs back behind the anchor desk, the financial news show drew only 196,000 households for CNN. That’s 40 percent lower than the 356,000 households that tuned in Monday. Arch-rival "Business Center" saw a somewhat smaller decline, dropping from 366,000 households during the 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. hour on Monday to 274,000 on Tuesday. CNN found some consolation in attracting more viewers in the 25-54 demographic. Though "Business Center" has taken a commanding lead in the financial news race ever since Dobbs left CNN almost two years ago, Dobbs has said publicly that "Moneyline" will be on top again within 12 months.
'Roswell' follows 'Buffy' from WB to UPN
UPN viewers will get a double dose of the paranormal next season. Not only is "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" leaving its longtime home on the WB for a more lucrative deal at the Viacom-owned network, but "Roswell" is making the same jump. With the show facing cancellation, "Roswell" producers 20th Century Fox and Regency TV reached a deal yesterday afternoon with UPN, which will pick up a full season, or 22 episodes, of the year-old sci-fi series about a high school full of alien teens. Though low-rated, "Roswell" had an ultra-loyal core of followers. Respondents in a recent USA Today poll picked it as the series in peril that was most worth rescuing. But among critics, the applause has been less than universal. Media Life’s Andrew Wallenstein advised pulling the plug on "Roswell," saying, "That series may have had the best pilot I’ve ever seen, but it’s been all downhill from there."
'20/20's' Babs to ABC: I may just walk
Barbara Walters got an unpleasant surprise this week when she learned that "20/20" was to be exiled to Wednesday to make room for the teetering drama "Once and Again." Apparently, she doesn't like surprises. In a move smacking of retaliation, Walters told The New York Times yesterday that she will be happy to consider leaving the network when a window of opportunity opens in her five-year contract in December 2002. "It gives me an out--not them--next December," Walters said of her contract. "So I'll do some thinking about my future, I have this one-time window next December." "20/20" has been airing Fridays at 10 p.m. since 1987. Not only will it begin next season on Wednesday, it is also slated to be booted from the schedule entirely when "NYPD Blue" makes its delayed season debut in November. ABC says "20/20" will be back about seven weeks after that, very likely in its original time slot. ABC felt that Walters had been reasonably open to the changes but her comments to the Times indicate otherwise. Meanwhile, CBS has jumped on a perceived hole left by "20/20" by announcing yesterday it would schedule its newsmagazine "48 Hours" on Friday at 10 p.m.
Advance snaps up Golf for Women from Meredith
The Golf Digest Companies, a unit of Advance Publications, has picked up Golf for Women magazine from Meredith Corp. In a statement yesterday, The Golf Digest Cos. said it will continue to publish the 400,000 circulation Golf for Women as a bimonthly while incorporating features from its own year-old title, the 265,000 circulation Golf Digest Woman. In other words, the smaller magazine will cease to exist. Staffers at Golf Digest Woman have been laid off, and editor Rona Cherry will be reassigned elsewhere within the company, according to a report in the New York Post. Already this year, Meredith has folded Family Money and ceased publication of Mature Outlook, a joint venture with retailer Sears.
ABC also in talks with CNN about news pact
Weeks after CBS announced it was talking with CNN about possible pooling of news operations, ABC says it has been doing the same. ABC Television Network president Alex Wallau told Inside.com that his network has had talks with AOL Time Warner's cable news service about a possible combination of hard news operations and news-gathering capabilities. However, the resource-sharing would strictly involve "background operations," no on-air talent. Wallau said the talks are in the preliminary stages, unlike the more advanced talks between CBS and CNN, though he characterized some relationship as inevitable. Statements released by CNN said the network was open to negotiations but would not comment on the matter specifically. Appearing on CNN's "Larry King Live," ABC "World News Tonight" anchor Peter Jennings said, ''I think it makes absolute sense that CNN is talking to ABC." Efforts at consolidation in the past have been blocked by CNN founder Ted Turner, but his departure and CNN's ratings woes, along with the major networks' desire to cut news-gathering costs, have brought the sides to the table once again.
May 17, 2001 © 2001 Media Life
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