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Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Mon., March 19)

By ED BARK
Rolling up American-Idol-like numbers in D-FW, Monday night's two-hour relaunch of Dancing with the Stars went nuts in the ratings before ABC's following What About Brian plunged down a mine shaft.

Dancing drew an average of 349,860 homes, peaking at 414,120 between 8:30 and 8:45 p.m. The closest competing show, NBC's two-hour Deal or No Deal, lured 147,560 homes.

Although filmed entirely in North Texas this season, Fox's Prison Break was the least-watched show on the four major networks between 7 and 8 p.m. Just 73,780 homes tuned in, and the numbers were equally dismal among advertiser-coveted 18-to-49-year-olds. As noted before, PB is doing much better in the national Nielsens than on its home turf.

ABC otherwise found all the evidence it needs to dump its contemporary life of Brian after this season. It plunged to 123,760 homes, losing almost two-thirds of Dancing's audience. NBC's The Black Donnellys also is a sure goner, drawing just 61,880 homes overall. Meanwhile, CBS' CSI: Miami ruled the 9 to 10 p.m. slot with 330,820 homes.

The CSI: Miami lead-in enabled CBS11's 10 p.m. newscast to post an infrequent win in homes. But no one at the station is smiling about it. Here's a telescoped look at the respective 9:45 to 10 p.m. ratings, and what D-FW's four late night newscasts did with them:

CSI: Miami -- 345,100 homes
CBS11's 10 p.m. news -- 176,120 homes

What About Brian -- 88,060 homes
Belo8's 10 p.m. news -- 166,600 homes

Fox4's 9 p.m. news -- 135,660 homes
Fox 4's 10 p.m. news -- 111,860 homes

The Black Donnellys -- 54,740 homes
NBC5's 10 p.m. news -- 109,480 homes.

Worse yet for CBS11, its 10 p.m. newscast drooped to a fourth-place finish among 25-to-54-year-olds, the main advertiser target audience for news programming. The preceding CSI: Miami dominated the competition in that demographic.

This has nothing to do with quality. On most nights, CBS11's news puts on a product second to none. But that product just isn't selling, which is why newly installed news director Regent Ducas is expected to make major changes in both content and the promotion of same. Bluntly put, D-FW viewers had their chance.

The 10 p.m. win among 25-to-54-year-olds went to Belo8, which also won at 6 a.m. in that audience demo. NBC5 narrowly took first place at 6 a.m. in homes.

The two stations swapped victories at 5 and 6 p.m. The Peacock was tops at 5 p.m. in homes and at 6 p.m. with 25-to-54-year-olds. Vice-versa for Belo8.
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