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NBC easily won the first night of the February sweeps with a distant lead over CBS in both the adult 18-49 and household demographics. NBC aired 40-minute episodes of its Thursday sitcoms “Friends,” “Scrubs” and “Will & Grace,” while “ER” had its regular one-hour slot at 10 p.m. Still, despite unusual start times, viewers proved they know how to switch channels. NBC ranked No. 1 among the 18-49 demo in the 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. hours, but CBS’s “CSI” ranked No. 1 at 9 p.m. NBC averaged a 10.2 adult 18-49 rating and a 13.3 household rating and 20 share, based on Nielsen overnights. CBS had a 6.8 and a 12.1/19. Fox had a 3.3 and a 4.8/7 with a “Joe Millionaire” repeat and the return of newsmagazine “The Pulse.” ABC was in last place throughout primetime with “Columbo Likes the Nightlife” and “Primetime Thursday.”
NBC's 'War Stories' takes a direct hit
With its two-hour pilot competing head-to-head with ABC’s “The Bachelorette” and Fox’s “American Idol,” NBC’s “War Stories” was swiftly steam-rolled on Wednesday, making its chances of getting a weekly run iffy at best. Despite mostly positive reviews, the movie starring Jeff Goldblum ranked No. 3 or No. 4 among the Big Four networks for most its run. It averaged a 2.4 adult 18-49 rating and was the second lowest-rated show for the night, with only CBS’s “60 Minutes II” fairing worse with a 2.3 rating at 9 p.m. Fox’s “American Idol” was by far the dominant show on Wednesday. The talent show whittled contestants down to the final 32 and pulled a 12.5 rating. Fox averaged an 11.1 adult 18-49 rating and a 12.8 household rating and 19 share, based on preliminary Nielsen data. ABC had a 5.7 and an 8/12. “The Bachelorette” pulled a more than respectable 6.5 adult 18-49 rating competing directly with “Idol” from 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. NBC had a 3.3 and a 6.8/10. A repeat of the network’s “Law & Order” ranked No. 2 behind ABC’s “Celebrity Mole: Hawaii” at 10 p.m. CBS had a 3 and a 7.4/11.
Michael Jackson is focus of two sweeps specials
Michael Jackson's transformation from beloved pop star to celebrity freak show will be the subject of two sweeps specials. The dueling bios, ABC’s “Living with Michael Jackson” and NBC’s “Dateline” special, will air next month. ABC prevailed this week in a four-network bidding war for rights to the film, ultimately edging out NBC by paying a reported $4 million to $5 million. The documentary chronicles eight months British journalist Martin Bashir spent with the self-proclaimed King of Pop, including that infamous baby-dangling incident in Berlin. The “Dateline” program, focusing mostly on Jackson’s extensive history of plastic surgery, had been slated to air Feb. 17. But ABC’s decision yesterday to show “Living” Feb. 7 could force NBC to push its date forward. While Jackson may not be quite the draw at the record store that he once was – his most recent release fizzled – he still attracts the morbidly curious to television. CBS’s November 2001 special “Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special” drew 25.7 million viewers, with numbers increasing each half-hour.
Clear Channel chief disputes monopoly tag
Senators accused radio conglomerate Clear Channel Communications of intimidation and coercion yesterday during a Capitol Hill hearing on the consolidation of media owners. Clear Channel chairman and chief executive L. Lowry Mays defended his company, saying that Clear Channel’s 1,240 radio stations, representing about 10 percent of the country’s total, don’t constitute a monopoly. He spoke out against legislation banning "pay-for-play" deals under which record companies essentially buy airplay for songs. "I think the record companies ought to take care of it themselves," he said. "They're the ones who write the checks to the independent promoters." Clear Channel reaches 25 percent of the nation’s radio listeners and receives 20 percent of the industry's ad revenue. Recording Artists’ Coalition founder Don Henley testified to Clear Channel’s damaging ad pricing policies, purchase of radio stations abroad to avoid domestic caps and practice of forcing artists to sign with the company’s concert production division.
Gear founder Guccione will host music show
The Gooch is ready for his close-up. Bob Guccione Jr., founder of the magazines Spin and Gear, will host a new music/talk show set to begin production this spring. The show, "Conversations," will bring together artists from different parts of the music world and invite them to discuss matters both music-related and not. The show will be jointly produced by Gear and J. Walter Thompson Brand Entertainment. No word on whether Axl "Get in the Ring" Rose will be invited to appear. Another men’s magazine, Maxim, has upcoming specials slated to air on ESPN and NBC and is planning to launch a cable channel called Maxim Entertainment Network, or MEN.
Study: Strict TV watching rules make teens rebel
Not only do rebellious teens stay out after curfew and speak in monosyllables at the dinner table, a new study shows they don't pay much attention to their parents' television rules either. Parents who use strict rules to limit their children's exposure to objectionable television programs often inadvertently encourage their kids to search out forbidden programs elsewhere, according to the Ohio State University study. These restrictions can result in strained parent-child relationships, said researcher Amy Nathanson. In the study, which followed 159 teens age 17-21, teens with heavy viewing restrictions tended to have a more negative view of their parents. The study also found that the often-suggested alternative of parents watching objectionable shows with their children doesn't keep kids from searching out such shows. Instead, it tends to cement negative viewing habits and give a parental sanction to the shows.
January 31, 2003© 2003 Media Life
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