Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Thurs., April 12)
04/13/07 09:54 AM
By ED BARK
We're under the impression they make big splashes. In reality, their prime-ratings invariably play in prime-time's kiddie pool.
Example: the most-watched attraction on Fox News Channel, CNN or MSNBC Thursday night drew 26,180 homes in D-FW. That would be FNC's The O'Reilly Factor. At midnight Thursday on CW33, a rerun of Will & Grace had 35,700 homes.
Here's a telescoped look at the 6 to 10 p.m. cable news ratings competitions on a night when the day's events included CBS' firing of Don Imus and a suicide bombing attack on the Iraqi parliament.
6 p.m.
The Fox Report -- 13,328 homes
The Situation Room (CNN) -- 13,090
Hardball with Chris Matthews (MSNBC) -- 8,568
7 p.m.
The O'Reilly Factor (FNC) -- 26,180
Countdown with Keith Olbermann (MSNBC) -- 14,518
Paula Zahn Now (CNN) -- 7,378
8 p.m.
Scarborough Country (MSNBC) -- 16,898
Hannity & Colmes (FNC) -- 14,042
Larry King Live (CNN) -- 11,662
9 p.m.
On the Record with Greta van Susteren (FNC) -- 19,754
To Catch a Predator Special (MSNBC) -- 14,280
Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN) -- 7,854
In contrast, the lowest-rated network dinner time news program, the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, drew 54,978 homes in D-FW.
Elsewhere, the back-to-back episode debut of ABC's Notes From the Underbelly finished a pink slip-ready fourth at 9 p.m. in both homes and with advertiser-craved 18-to-49-year-olds.
At 7 p.m., Fox's surprisingly educational Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? again got passing grades, winning in homes and finishing in a first-place tie with CBS' Survivor: Fiji and ABC's Ugly Betty in the 18-to-49-year-old demo.
The local news derby went like this:
NBC5 won at 10 p.m. in homes (166,6000), with CBS11 (164,220) and Belo8 (161,840 trailing by paper-thin margins. Belo8 station almost overcame a severe ratings disadvantage from the Underbelly lead-in.
The Peacock prevailed by a far more comfortable margin among 25-to-54-year-olds, the main advertiser target audience for news programming.
Fox4 continued its recent uptick in the early morning, topping the 6 a.m. ratings in both measurements. Belo8 again swept the 5 and 6 p.m. competitions.
We're under the impression they make big splashes. In reality, their prime-ratings invariably play in prime-time's kiddie pool.
Example: the most-watched attraction on Fox News Channel, CNN or MSNBC Thursday night drew 26,180 homes in D-FW. That would be FNC's The O'Reilly Factor. At midnight Thursday on CW33, a rerun of Will & Grace had 35,700 homes.
Here's a telescoped look at the 6 to 10 p.m. cable news ratings competitions on a night when the day's events included CBS' firing of Don Imus and a suicide bombing attack on the Iraqi parliament.
6 p.m.
The Fox Report -- 13,328 homes
The Situation Room (CNN) -- 13,090
Hardball with Chris Matthews (MSNBC) -- 8,568
7 p.m.
The O'Reilly Factor (FNC) -- 26,180
Countdown with Keith Olbermann (MSNBC) -- 14,518
Paula Zahn Now (CNN) -- 7,378
8 p.m.
Scarborough Country (MSNBC) -- 16,898
Hannity & Colmes (FNC) -- 14,042
Larry King Live (CNN) -- 11,662
9 p.m.
On the Record with Greta van Susteren (FNC) -- 19,754
To Catch a Predator Special (MSNBC) -- 14,280
Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN) -- 7,854
In contrast, the lowest-rated network dinner time news program, the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, drew 54,978 homes in D-FW.
Elsewhere, the back-to-back episode debut of ABC's Notes From the Underbelly finished a pink slip-ready fourth at 9 p.m. in both homes and with advertiser-craved 18-to-49-year-olds.
At 7 p.m., Fox's surprisingly educational Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? again got passing grades, winning in homes and finishing in a first-place tie with CBS' Survivor: Fiji and ABC's Ugly Betty in the 18-to-49-year-old demo.
The local news derby went like this:
NBC5 won at 10 p.m. in homes (166,6000), with CBS11 (164,220) and Belo8 (161,840 trailing by paper-thin margins. Belo8 station almost overcame a severe ratings disadvantage from the Underbelly lead-in.
The Peacock prevailed by a far more comfortable margin among 25-to-54-year-olds, the main advertiser target audience for news programming.
Fox4 continued its recent uptick in the early morning, topping the 6 a.m. ratings in both measurements. Belo8 again swept the 5 and 6 p.m. competitions.
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