Boost for Fox
from 'American Idol'
Otherwise is mostly Snoozeville for the networks
By Kevin Downey

     Considering the usual sorry state of television at this time of year, the broadcast networks have to be given credit for rolling out a long list of original programs this summer.
   Reality shows and sports championship games, of course, have been topping the list of new entries.
   But despite a smattering of programs that would seemingly pull in huge ratings, like the NBA Finals on NBC, viewers have yet to be moved enough to turn on the tube in any great numbers, based on recent Nielsen ratings.
  Only Fox and CBS have ratings that are up in the adult 18-49 demographic compared to this week last year, while the remaining four networks are either down or flat.
  Fox’s rating is up 18 percent, due almost entirely to its new reality series, “American Idol: The Search for a Superstar.”
   The show’s premiere ranked No. 3 last week with a 4.8 rating in the demo.
   And one indication that the show may be a hit is that its second episode, which competed in much of the country directly with the concluding game of the NBA Finals last Wednesday, improved on its premiere by 8 percent and ranked No. 2 with an average 5.2 rating.
  Moreover, that episode ranked No. 1 for the week among teens and women 18-49.
   “American Idol” and much of the rest of Fox’s schedule was strong enough to lift the network from a fourth place finish, due to a 24 percent increase over the previous week’s rating, to rank No. 2.
   Fox had a 2.6 in the demo to NBC’s 3.7, CBS’s 2.4 and ABC’s 2.1. UPN had a 1.2 and the WB had a 0.9.
  Fox had trouble with its other big entry into summer reality.
  “Looking for Love: Bachelorettes in Alaska” only tied for No. 55 with a 2 rating, which was down 23 percent from a week earlier.
   Fox did well, though, considering the relatively strong competition on the other networks.
   Game Four of the NBA Finals was the week’s most-watched program with just under 16.6 million viewers.
   Although the household rating for the last game of the Finals was down 4 percent from last year, mostly due to an uneven match between the winning Los Angeles Lakers and the New Jersey Nets, the last game still managed to rank as the week’s highest-rated in the 18-49 demographic.
   NBC also dominated much of the week with 13 shows in the top-20.
   “Fear Factor,” “Spy TV” and NBC’s strong repeats of Thursday staples, like “Friends” and “Will & Grace,” all ranked among the week’s highest-rated in the demo, as did the Monday drama, “Crossing Jordan,” which has been getting a boost from a “Spy TV” lead-in.
   Despite NBC’s dominance, its rating is down nearly 8 percent compared to this week last year.
    ABC’s rating is down 19 percent.
   The network’s highest-rated show was “The Mole II,” but Game Five of the NHL Stanley Cup also did fairly well at No. 31 with a 2.9 rating. Game Four ranked No. 43 with a 2.4.
   CBS, meanwhile, ranked No. 3 among adults 18-49 but was No. 2 among households.
   The network had the week’s highest-rated show in that demographic with “CSI,” which did better than the NBA Finals.
    And in a true sign that the broadcast networks are heading into a long summer, the network’s primetime version of “The Price is Right” scared up more viewers than repeats of NBC’s “Friends” and “Will & Grace” in head-to-head competition.
   The game show had 10.1 million viewers to NBC’s average 8.9 million.
   NBC was No. 1 in households for the week, however, with a 6.4 rating and 12 share to CBS’s 6/11, ABC’s 3.7/7, Fox’s 3.6/7, UPN’s 1.9/3 and the WB’s 1.5/3.

 

PRIMETIME AVERAGES BY NETWORK
Ranked on Households
Week Ending June 16, 2002

 

Households

People 2+

Adults 18-49

Network

Rtg%

(000)

Shr

Rtg%

(000)

Shr

Rtg%

(000)

Shr

NBC

6.4

6790

12

3.5

9540

11

3.7

4700

12

CBS

6.0

6280

11

3.1

8490

9

2.4

3010

7

ABC

3.7

3870

7

2.1

5550

6

2.1

2730

7

FOX

3.6

3830

7

2.1

5730

6

2.6

3340

8

UPN

1.9

2050

3

1.1

2890

3

1.2

1580

4

WB

1.5

1600

3

0.8

2220

2

0.9

1160

3

PAX

0.8

870

2

0.4

1180

1

0.3

390

1

Source: Nielsen Media Research

 

SEASON-TO-DATE*
PRIMETIME AVERAGES BY NETWORK
Ranked on Households
Sept. 24, 2001 through June 16, 2002

 

Households

People 2+

Adults 18-49

Network

Rtg%

(000)

Shr

Rtg%

(000)

Shr

Rtg%

(000)

Shr

NBC

8.6

9100

14

4.9

13140

13

5.1

6530

14

CBS

7.9

8350

13

4.4

11930

12

3.7

4770

10

ABC

6.1

6460

10

3.5

9350

9

3.5

4390

9

FOX

5.5

5800

9

3.3

8860

8

3.9

4930

11

UPN

2.6

2750

4

1.6

4180

4

1.8

2280

5

WB

2.4

2550

4

1.4

3670

3

1.6

1990

4

PAX

0.9

940

1

0.5

1270

1

0.3

410

1

* Regular broadcast season ended May 22, 2002
Source: Nielsen Media Research

 

NETWORK TV
Ranked on Households
Week Ending June 16, 2002

     

HOUSEHOLDS

PERSONS 2+

#

PROGRAMS

Net

Rtg%

Shr

(000)

RANK

Rtg%

(000)

1

CSI

CBS

10.9

18

11478

2

5.9

16022

2

NBA FINALS GAME 4(S)
 (Lakers vs.
 Nets)

NBC

10.8

19

11380

1

6.1

16560

3

EVERYBODY LOVES
RAYMOND

CBS

9.9

16

10412

3

5.2

14036

4

BECKER

CBS

8.7

14

9203

4

4.5

12252

5

48 HOURS-
MONDAY

CBS

8.2

14

8660

6

4.2

11201

6

LAW AND ORDER:CRIM INTENT

NBC

8.0

14

8422

4

4.5

12062

7

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

NBC

7.6

13

7966

8

4.1

11033

8

60 MINUTES

CBS

7.5

16

7924

10

3.9

10429

9

DATELINE SUN-7PM

NBC

7.2

13

7599

9

4.0

10706

10

YES, DEAR

CBS

7.0

12

7412

13

3.6

9775

11

AMERICAN IDOL
WED.

FOX

6.9

12

7294

6

4.2

11244

11

KING OF QUEENS

CBS

6.9

13

7273

13

3.6

9823

11

PRICE IS RIGHT: U.S. ARMY(S)

CBS

6.9

13

7257

11

3.7

10087

14

FRIENDS

NBC

6.8

13

7226

18

3.5

9474

15

60 MINS.II

CBS

6.6

12

7010

20

3.3

8949

15

NBA FINALS TIP-OFF GM 4(S)

NBC

6.6

12

6940

13

3.6

9800

17

20/20-FRI

ABC

6.5

12

6851

20

3.3

8899

17

CBS SUNDAY MOVIE ("The Negotiator")

CBS

6.5

11

6810

13

3.6

9741

19

AFI 100 YRS, 100 PASSIONS
(S)

CBS

6.2

11

6524

22

3.2

8569

20

AMERICAN IDOL
TUES.

FOX

6.1

11

6463

11

3.7

9852

20

DATELINE NBC-TUE

NBC

6.1

11

6438

22

3.2

8504

20

SPY TV-6/10(S)

NBC

6.1

10

6442

13

3.6

9793

20

WILL & GRACE 6/13(S)

NBC

6.1

11

6414

27

3.1

8399

24

AGENCY, THE

CBS

6.0

10

6294

22

3.2

8718

24

DATELINE FRI

NBC

6.0

12

6323

22

3.2

8520

24

E.R.

NBC

6.0

11

6339

28

3.0

8167

24

WILL & GRACE

NBC

6.0

10

6312

28

3.0

8205

Source: Nielsen Media Research

 

CABLE TV
Ranked on Households
Week Ending June 9, 2002

BASIC CABLE
 

Households

Persons 2+

#

PROGRAM NAME

NET

(000)

Rtg%

(000)

1

TBS ORIGINAL MOVIE(S)-06/09 (ATOMIC TWISTER)

TBS

5147

4.9

8267

2

2002 MTV MOVIE AWARDS

MTV

4746

4.5

7109

3

WWE ENTERTAINMENT (WWE RAW ZONE)

TNN

3697

3.5

5548

4

WWE ENTERTAINMENT (WWE RAW)

TNN

3323

3.1

5128

5

TBS ORIGINAL MOVIE(S)-06/09 (ATOMIC TWISTER)

TBS

3123

3.0

4555

6

THE SHIELD

FX

3006

2.8

4142

7

SPONGEBOB

NICK

2868

2.7

4150

8

REAL WORLD XI

MTV

2728

2.6

3562

9

PRIME MOVIE (A STRNGER)

LIF

2716

2.6

3311

10

2002 MOVIE AWRDS POSTSHOW

MTV

2693

2.6

3618

11

HEY ARNOLD

NICK

2622

2.5

3958

12

2002 MOVIE AWARDS PRESHOW

MTV

2609

2.5

3762

13

TNT BIG PICTURE MOVIES (PAYBACK)

TNT

2608

2.5

3702

14

SPONGEBOB

NICK

2596

2.5

3864

15

SPONGEBOB

NICK

2591

2.5

3367

PAY CABLE
     

Households

Households

Persons 2+

#

PROGRAM NAME

NET

(000)

Rtg%

(000)

1

SEX AND THE CITY(S)-06/09

HBO

2548

2.4

3315

2

ANGEL EYES

HBO

2313

2.2

3092

3

SHREK

HBO

2312

2.2

3254

4

SEX AND THE CITY(S)-06/09

HBO

2256

2.1

3021

5

WIRE, THE

HBO

1935

1.8

2799

Total U.S. ratings and household projections are based on 105.5 million TV homes.
Source: Nielsen Media Research

 

SYNDICATION
Ranked on Households
Week Ending June 2, 2002

 

Households

#

PROGRAMS

Syndicator

US Rtg %
(000)
1 WHEEL OF FORTUNE KIN 7.7 8152
2 JEOPARDY KIN 6.5 6835

3

FRIENDS-SYN (AT)

WB

6.1

6417

4

SEINFELD (AT)

CTS

5.8

6105

5

OPRAH WINFREY SHOW (AT)

KIN

5.5

5786

6

JUDGE JUDY (AT)

PRM

5.4

5746

7

EVRY LVS RAYMOND-SYN (AT)

KIN

5.3

5579

8

ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT(AT)

PRM

5.2

5536

9

SEINFELD-WKND (AT)

CTS

4.9

5163

10

CENTURY 18

2/T

4.0

4186

Source: Nielsen Media Research

 

NETWORK SPORTS
Ranked on Households
Week Ending June 9, 2002

 

     Households

Persons 2+

#

 PROGRAMS

Net

Episode

US Rtg%

Shr

(000)

(000)

1

NBA FINALS GAME 1(S)
6/05

NBC

NJ
 AT LAKERS

10.6

20

11217

15850

2

NBA FINALS GAME 3(S)
6/09

NBC

NJ
 AT LAKERS

10.2

18

10796

16209

3

NBA FINALS GAME 2(S)
6/07

NBC

NJ
 AT LAKERS

9.1

18

9570

14046

4

BELMONT STAKES(S)
-6/08

NBC

8.4

22

8894

12410

5

FOX NASCAR
 WINSTON
 CUP

FOX

POCONO 500 PRES. BY SUBWAY

5.1

15

5393

7961

6

ABC STANLEY CUP FINAL-
GM3(S)
6/08

ABC

DETROIT AT CAROLINA

3.3

8

3478

5482

7

WWE SMACK-
DOWN!

UPN

3.3

6

3460

5464

8

FOX 
SATURDAY
BASEBALL

FOX

VAR. TEAMS AND TIMES

2.8

9

2905

3629

9

FRENCH OPEN TENNIS
SAT.(S)
6/08

NBC

2.8

10

2909

3527

10

BUICK 
CLASSIC
SUN(S)
6/09

ABC

1.7

5

1823

2421

11

PGA SENIOR GOLF
-SAT.(S)
6/08

NBC

1.6

5

1662

1993

12

PGA SENIOR GOLF
SUN.(S)
6/09

NBC

1.6

4

1695

2050

13

BUICK
 CLASSIC
SAT(S)-
6/08

ABC

1.5

4

1566

1968

14

FRENCH OPEN TENNIS
SUN.(S)
6/09

NBC

1.3

4

1374

1634

15

ABC WC
 SOCCER GM-6/8(S)
6/08

ABC

ARG. VS ENG.

1.2

4

1227

1610

16

FRENCH OPEN TENNIS FRI(S)
6/07

NBC

1.1

4

1153

1276

17

CANADIAN
 GRAND PRIX(S)
6/09

ABC

1.0

3

1045

1445

18

CBS SPORTS SPECTACULR
-SU1

CBS

US TRCK & FLD - ORACLE US OPEN

1.0

3

1072

1413

19

MCDONALDS LPGA 
CHMPSHP
-SU(S)
6/09

CBS

1.0

3

1012

1291

20

NCAA OUTDR TRCK & FLD CHP(S)
6/08

CBS

0.9

3

904

1194

21

MCDONALDS LPGA CHMPSHP
-SA(S)
6/08

CBS

0.8

2

822

995

22

WAL-MART
 FLW TOUR

PAX

0.1

0

157

199

23

WUSA
 WOMENS SOCCER

PAX

WASH. PHILA

0.1

0

100

<<

Source: Nielsen Media Research

June 19, 2002 © 2002 Media Life

-Kevin Downey is a staff writer for Media Life.


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