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The slim ratings decline for the 2002 winter Olympics from Salt Lake City continued last night, as NBC pulled in a 9.7 adult 18-49 rating, its lowest draw yet. CBS had a 4.0 while ABC and Fox shared a 2.9, based on preliminary Nielsen ratings. NBC has seen its 18-49 audience slip every night since Monday, going from 11.1 to a 10.4 on Tuesday to a 9.9 on Wednesday. That still only represents a 12 percent drop all week. At 8 p.m. a repeat of CBS's "CSI" came in second to Olympic coverage with a 5.1 in adults 18-49 for the hour. ABC's "A Charlie Brown Valentine" and a rerun of "Winnie the Pooh a Valentine for You" took third by outdrawing two episodes of "Family Guy" on Fox by almost a full rating point. At 9 p.m. the season finale of "Temptation Island 2" barely managed to beat a repeat of ABC's "America's Funniest Videos," capturing only a 3.5 among adults 18-49 for the hour. Reruns of "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "King of Queens" on CBS placed a distant second to Olympic coverage. At 10 p.m. ABC's "Millionaire" and a rerun of CBS's "The Agency" failed to combine for even half of the 18-49 audience tuned into the games from Salt Lake City. The average household rating and share for Thursday night were: NBC 17.7/28, CBS 7.0/11, ABC 5.0/8 and Fox 3.5/6. On Wednesday night, NBC's winter Olympic coverage experienced another slight dip in viewership, though it again easily captured a dominant win in households and adults 18-49. The three-hour telecast scored a 9.9 adult 18-49 rating, down from a 10.4 on Tuesday night and 11.1 on Sunday and Monday nights. Fox had a 3.7, ABC a 3.1 and CBS a 2.5, based on preliminary Nielsen ratings. ABC and Fox saw pronounced declines in ratings for their regular Wednesday 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. lineups from last week, proving that an audience drain by NBC's Olympics is in effect. Fox dropped 14 percent from last week and ABC fell 22 percent from two weeks ago, the last time its lineup was broadcast in full. ABC's "My Wife and Kids" and "According to Jim" managed only a 3.8 adult 18-49 rating for second place, while Fox scraped together a 3.5 for "That '80s Show" and "Grounded for Life." At 9 p.m. Fox and ABC switched places, as "Bernie Mac" and "Titus" on Fox pulled in a 4.0, topping a 3.3 from ABC's "Drew Carey" and "The Job." CBS was in last place until 10 p.m. when the second hour of part two of its TV movie "Guilty Hearts" edged ABC's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." The average household rating and share for Wednesday night were: NBC 16.9/27, CBS 7.2/11, ABC 5.6/9 and Fox 4.8/8.
Claim: WSJ's Pearl killed in escape attempt
As the chief suspect in the kidnapping of Daniel Pearl continues to insist that the Wall Street Journal reporter is dead, investigators, though still unable to confirm his story, are increasingly inclined to believe him. Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who was taken into custody earlier this week, told a judge in an anti-terrorist court that Pearl was shot and killed on Jan. 31 as he attempted to escape his captors. Sheikh says he learned of Pearl’s death in a coded telephone exchange with an accomplice on Feb. 5. Suspicions remain that Sheikh, an Islamic militant who spent five years in an Indian jail for kidnapping Western tourists, is trying to throw investigators off the trail by falsely claiming Pearl is dead. Just three days ago, he said Pearl was alive, and Reuters reports that Pakistani police have undisclosed evidence that that is still the case. Speaking at a White House event Wednesday night, Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said he believed Pearl’s body would have been discovered by now if he were dead. Meanwhile, police are searching for a man going by the name of Imtiaz Siddiqui, who they believe carried out the abduction.
Viacom fights suit by 'time machine' whistleblower
A former CBS station manager is suing Viacom, saying he was fired for complaining about the questionable methods he was told to use to pump up ad revenue. William Ballard, CBS station manager for Miami and West Palm Beach, Fla., claims that the media giant urged him to adopt a practice known as "covering," airing local ads in place of network ads. He says he was also told to use a device known as the "Lexicon" or "time machine," which cuts enough single frames of content so more ads can fit into a commercial break. He is seeking $2 million in damages under a Florida law that protects whistleblowers. CBS disputes the allegations, saying that its executives never ordered Ballard to employ "covering" or to use the Lexicon, and that even if they had, it would not be covered under the whistleblower law since it is not illegal. Last fall, a CBS station in Pittsburgh was reproached by CBS for using the Lexicon during a football game. One top executive at the network has since admitted that stations in Boston and Baltimore did the same thing at one time.
GQ turns L.A. bar into advertisers' paradise
Where does the truly GQ man go when he needs a drink in Tinseltown? Starting next week, he’ll be able to go to the GQ Lounge, where he can toss back cocktails while feasting his eyes on advertising materials from nearly two dozen sponsors including Calvin Klein, Paul Mitchell and Reebok. The lounge is being created in The Sunset Room, a Hollywood bar, according to The New York Times. Advertisers who wanted in on the promotion had to agree to match or increase their GQ ad pages from last year. Among the enticements the GQ Lounge offers are drinks named after their brands (e.g., the Corum Cocktail, named after the watchmaker) and product placement (visitors to the men’s room can freshen up with Paul Mitchell toiletries). GQ will host a lounge in Manhattan in September, according to the Times.
February 15, 2002 © 2002 Media Life
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