CBS takes Thursday against an army of reruns
The first night of the post-sweeps brought with it a slew of reruns and more evidence that CBS’s Thursday lineup dominates outside key ratings periods. CBS ranked No. 1 overall in both adults 18-49 and households and ranked No. 1 in the 18-49 demographic in all but one half-hour. The network’s advantage began at 8 p.m. with an original episode of “Survivor: The Amazon,” which had more than a 1 rating point lead over NBC, which had a “Friends” repeat and “Scrubs” original. The reality show improved its rating 15 percent in its second half-hour and managed the night’s highest rating. A repeat of CBS’s “CSI” beat NBC’s “Will & Grace” and “Good Morning, Miami” by 2 rating points. Even CBS’s “Without a Trace” averaged a better rating at 10 p.m. than NBC’s “Friends” and “Will & Grace” repeats, although it ranked No. 2 in its first half-hour.CBS averaged a 7.6 adult 18-49 rating and a 13.3 household rating and 21 share, based on preliminary Nielsen data. NBC had a 6.3 and a 9/14, Fox had a 3.9 and a 5.4/8 and ABC had a 3 and a 4.8/8.

Babs bombs with '20/20' Blake interview
Although heavily hyped, Barbara Walters’ interview with actor and alleged murderer Robert Blake drew little interest on Wednesday. The special edition of “20/20,” timed to coincide with the last night of the February sweeps, did not have an awful performance. It averaged a 4.6 adult 18-49 rating at 10 p.m. and ranked No. 2 in its time slot. But it was among the lowest rated shows on primetime last night. There was plenty of competition on the other networks throughout the night with Fox’s “American Idol” dominating at 8:30 p.m., CBS’s “60 Minutes II” interview with Saddam Hussein pulling big numbers at 9 p.m., and NBC’s “Law & Order” pulling the second best rating of the night at 10 p.m. Ultimately, Fox ranked No. 1 in the 18-49 demographic with a 6.2 rating. NBC had a 5.2, CBS had a 4.4 and ABC had a 4.3. NBC ranked No. 1 in households with a 9.7 rating and 15 share, based on preliminary Nielsen data. CBS had an 8.9/14, Fox had a 7.3/11 and ABC had a 7/11. 

Donaldson stays put after MSNBC talks fizzle
Sam Donaldson won’t leave ABC, but it’s not for lack of trying. Negotiations for an MSNBC talk show have stalled, so the longtime ABC newsman instead will continue with his web radio show. Following his axing from "This Week" last summer in favor of George Stephanopoulos, Donaldson had been talking with MSNBC, most recently discussing a 9 p.m. show that would compete with Fox News’ “Hannity & Colmes” and CNN’s “Larry King Live.” The two sides apparently couldn’t agree on a price. Donaldson is in the midst of a multi-year deal with ABC, and he soon will report from the Persian Gulf for the network’s radio and TV. Meanwhile, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and the National Organization of Women are protesting the recent hiring of talk show host Michael Savage. Conservative radio host Savage has joked that he’s “not anti-gay, but I do support the Boy Scouts.” In his book, he said that the U.S. “has a she-ocracy where a minority of feminist zealots … have both feminized and homosexualized much of America to the point where the nation has become passive.” The protest organizers hope to convince MSNBC to can Savage’s new show before it begins.

Men's Health editor Zinczenko caught in the act
What a week for Dave Zinczenko. First the Men's Health editor gets mentioned as a potential replacement for retiring GQ editor Art Cooper. Now he’s been mentioned in a very different context -- a Playboy article written by a female journalist who traveled to New York on a mission to sleep with as many successful men as she could in the space of a week. Writer Anna David doesn't mention Zinczenko by name, but she confirmed to the New York Post that he was in fact the "Magazine Guy" of her article. She claims the two of them didn't actually have sex, at least not "according to the Clintonian definition." For Zinczenko, who last year was named one to People magazine’s list of the 50 most eligible bachelors, the encounter may have counted as research: He was editing an article about oral sex for Men’s Health at the time. Zinczenko is dating actress Rose McGowan.

Does closet-delving NY Post have a secret?
Is Rupert Murdoch’s only American newspaper trying to tell us something with its dogged efforts to "out" supposedly gay athletes? C.W. Nevius thinks so. "I believe the New York Post is gay," writes Nevius, a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. "I have to admit this is based mostly on circumstantial evidence," he says, pointing to the way the Post’s gossip columnists have repeatedly questioned the sexual orientation of New York Mets star Mike Piazza and Dodgers Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax. (Both players have strenuously denied the suggestion, and the Post recently retracted an item about Koufax.) "[D]oesn't it seem that the Post is a little . . . too interested?" asks Nevius. "What is this fascination with gay men? Who, besides the Post, was so intrigued by the sexual orientation of a Hall of Fame pitcher in his late 60s? It doesn't take a trained psychologist to see what is going on here."

Oprah will highlight classics with new book club
 Oprah Winfrey is bringing back her book club, to the certain delight of publishers everywhere. This time around, rather than select little-known novels upon which to bestow her blessing, Winfrey will attempt to introduce readers to the works of history’s great authors, such as Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner. Her new club, tentatively called "Traveling with the Classics," will feature only a handful of selections a year, not one a month as before. Thanks to her massive TV audience, Winfrey has the power to turn any book she recommends into an instant bestseller , as she did with titles such as "She’s Come Undone" and "White Oleander." When she stopped making picks in April, saying it was too time consuming, the "Today" show, "Good Morning America" and USA Today all jumped in with book clubs of their own.

February 28, 2003© 2003 Media Life


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