News Shorts

ABC sitcoms score with 18-49s
On Wednesday night, where serious dramas rule, some sitcoms are showing resiliency with adults 18-49. Last night, ABC’s “My Wife and Kids” and “According to Jim” won the 8 p.m. hour in the demographic, and Fox’s “Bernie Mac Show” placed a solid second among adults 18-49 at 9 p.m., behind only NBC’s “The West Wing.” All three sitcoms also placed second in households during their respective time periods, behind NBC’s “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” at 8 p.m. and “The West Wing” at 9 p.m. NBC swept the night in households and won 9-11 p.m. among adults 18-49 with its lineup of the Christmas special, “The West Wing,” and “Law and Order.” The preliminary Nielsen household rating and share and adult 18-49 rating for Wednesday night were: NBC 12.5/20 and 6.3, ABC 7.3/12 and 4.5, CBS 6.5/10 and 3.5, and Fox 5.9/9 and 4.3. Meanwhile, CBS’s powerful Tuesday block was stopped short by a celebrity edition of NBC’s “Fear Factor” and 9 p.m. sitcoms. “Fear Factor” handily won the 8 p.m. hour among adults 18-49, while CBS’s “JAG” won households. At 9 p.m., the NBC sitcoms “Frasier” and “Scrubs” won each of their half-hours among adults 18-49. “Frasier” also won its half-hour in households, and ABC’s “NYPD Blue” won the 9:30 p.m. half-hour in households, upsetting CBS’s previously winning “The Guardian.” Fox’s “24” finished the hour third among adults 18-49 and fourth in households. At 10 p.m., CBS’s “Judging Amy” swept the hour in both households and adults 18-49. The preliminary Nielsen household rating and share and adult 18-49 rating for Tuesday were: CBS 10.5/16 and 3.9, NBC 8.9/14 and 6.0, ABC 7.6/12 and 4.3, and Fox 5.8/9 and 4.6.

Time Inc. pulls plug on Family Life, On, Asiaweek
Pressed to make big cost savings, Time Inc. is shutting down three titles. The company is expected to announce today that it is folding Family Life, On, and Asiaweek, according to reports. Time Inc. bought Family Life two years ago from Hachette Filipacchi Magazines but failed to make the title profitable despite solid ad growth this year. Through October, the 700,000-circulation child-rearing title was up 6.8 percent in pages, with 375.9 year-to-date, and up 41.5 percent to $18.2 million, according to the Publishers Information Bureau. On, originally called Time Digital, is a new consumer magazine about technology and the internet. Through October it had 247 ad pages. Asiaweek is a regional newsmagazine based in Hong Kong.

Ted Turner: Jerry Levin ruined my life
Still feeling a bit bitter, are we, Ted? With his term of service at the media empire he helped to build ending next month, Ted Turner spoke at the cable industry's annual Western Show yesterday, and he had nothing but not-so-nice things to say about those who engineered his ouster, particularly AOL Time Warner CEO Jerry Levin. Among other things, Turner blames Levin for foiling his longtime dream of owning a major broadcast network. "I was really brokenhearted when Jerry vetoed the NBC acquisition," he told listeners. If things had worked out differently, says Turner, "I would have had NBC five years ago, bought Time Warner and fired Jerry." As things stand now, he says, Levin has taken away everything that's important to him except for his children and his lands out West. "I get a lot of pleasure from my land, but if Jerry gets his hands on it I'll probably lose that too," he said. Turner even claims that at one point Levin said, "'Ted, you’re my best friend.' I said, 'I’m your best friend? Jerry, I’ve never been in your home. If I’m your best friend, who’s your second best friend?'"

Fox hands pick-ups to '24' and 'Bernie Mac'
Fox's high concept action-drama "24" will live up to its name after all. The network has extended its commitment to the series through the end of the season, ordering 11 more episodes. "24" follows exactly one day in the life of an FBI agent, played by Kiefer Sutherland, as he races to stop an assassination plot. The original plan was for the action to unfold in near-real time over the course of 24 hour-long episodes, but the show's producers promised that if it did not get picked up they would rewrite the story lines for an early resolution. Fox has also given a full-season commitment to "The Bernie Mac Show" and announced a premiere date for "That '80s Show." The new sitcom from the creators of "That '70s Show" will debut Jan. 23 at 8 p.m.

Winter Olympics ad inventory moving fast
While most everyone else frets and moans over the brutal ad slump, NBC can't complain about its ad sales for February's Winter Olympics. The peacock network claims to have sold 94 percent of its Olympic ad inventory so far, with blue-chip advertisers like AT&T, Visa, Coca-Cola, Kodak, Volkswagen and Universal Pictures onboard for the first domestic Olympics in five years. About $40 million worth of ads have been sold in the last two weeks and the network expects to be sold out by the end of January. Analysts expect a patriotic swell for American athletes to fuel above-average viewership numbers. NBC has already guaranteed advertisers a rating of 17.9 for its coverage or a 10 percent jump from CBS's audience for the Nagano Winter Olympics of 1998. A 30-second spot will go for $600,000--35 percent higher than this season's top-dollar "Survivor 3." NBC is said to be planning on a big promotional push for its midseason slate, which includes the Julia Louis-Dreyfus real-time comedy "23:12," and comedies "The Hank Azaria Show" and "Leap of Faith."

'CSI' will take on 'ER' in December
NBC's eight-year-old workhorse "ER" will take on CBS's relative newcomer "CSI" on Thursday, Dec. 13, following the finale for CBS's "Amazing Race." While "ER" is still on top with 25.9 million viewers on average this season, compared to "CSI's" 23.1 million, it is losing top stars Eriq La Salle and Anthony Edwards at the end of season. "CSI" has also surprised many by how well it has held up in repeats, even against "ER." CBS is also hoping to give a nudge to "Amazing Race," its critically-acclaimed but mediocre-rated Wednesday night reality offering, which it hopes will translate to a bigger performance in its next installment, currently scheduled for spring or summer. In other network news, NBC has ordered six more episodes of its sophomore entry "Three Sisters." While managing to hold "Frasier's" numbers last midseason in its 9:30 p.m. slot, it hasn't been able to forge its own identity at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays after the struggling "Emeril," though it captured 7.3 million viewers in its hour-long episode before sweeps.

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