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Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Tues., March 1) -- still no sign of Sheen fatigue

By ED BARK
OK, maybe networks are "enabling" him. But viewers are, too.

Tuesday's 9 p.m. "special edition" of ABC's 20/20, devoted to the cocksure ramblings of Charlie Sheen, easily punched out competing new programming while drawing double the audience for the network's preceding episode of V.

20/20 racked up 263,177 D-FW viewers, beating NBC's runner-up Parenthood (200,845), CBS' The Good Wife (186,994) and Fox4's local newscast (166,217). It was evidence of a big tune-in for good time Charlie after V finished fourth at 8 p.m. with 131,588 viewers.

20/20's Sheen hour also won its 9 p.m. slot with advertiser-coveted 18-to-49-year-olds. So ABC and rival networks aren't about to stop if they can find other angles to this sorry story.

In earlier prime-time hours, American Idol drew a dominant but not as imposing 491,725 total viewers from 7 to 8:30 p.m. with the first self-standing performances from its 12 male semi-finalists. CBS' NCIS put up a decent fight with 394,765 viewers in the 7 p.m. hour.

The Fox juggernaut's lone remaining Texan, Omaha native/Fort Worth resident Tim Halperin, already looks like a sure goner after being one of the few singers to get panned Tuesday night. Viewers will trim the field to five males and five males on Thursday night, with judges then adding "wild card" choices.

The nice-sized ratings for 20/20 gave WFAA8's 10 p.m. newscast a Vitamin B shot, at least in the total viewer Nielsens. It ran first in that measurement with 242,400 viewers before coughing up the bit among 25-to-54-year-olds, the main advertiser target audience for news programming on most stations. NBC5 instead took the gold among 25-to-54-year-olds, with WFAA8 falling to a close second after inheriting 161,548 viewers in this demographic and dropping to 93,201.

In Tuesday's other local news derby results, Fox4 again rolled to twin wins at 6 a.m. while also whipping the three network morning shows with the 7 to 9 a.m. portion of its Good Day.

WFAA8 had a good go of it in the early evening, running the table at 5 p.m. and also topping the 6 p.m. field in 25-to-54-year-olds. CBS11 won at 6 p.m. in total viewers. When the February "sweeps" finals come out on Thursday, it will mark the first time that CBS11 has ever won at both 6 and 10 p.m. in total viewers.
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