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Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Fri.-Sun., May 29-31) -- Leno bulks up with big audience for last Tonight


Final guest Conan O'Brien laughs it up with departing host.

By ED BARK
Jay Leno's goodnight to Tonight racked up Friday's biggest D-FW audience, more than doubling the crowd for NBC5's preceding 10 p.m. newscast.

Keeping his ample chin up while preparing for a fall prime-time debut, Leno drew 305,578 viewers in squelching competition from WFAA8's combo of ABC's Nightline (79,716 viewers) and the syndicated The Insider (66,430).

Friday's second most-watched program, the Lakers' closeout of the Nuggets in Game 6 of their championship series, averaged 245,791 viewers on ESPN.

Leno also did big business with advertiser-craved 18-to-49-year-olds, drawing 142,613 viewers in this age range. The Lakers-Nuggets game was close behind with 132,889 viewers to rank as Friday's No. 2 attraction in the 18-to-49 demographic.

On Sunday afternoon, the first-place Texas Rangers' home loss to Oakland averaged more total viewers than Fort Worth's Colonial golf tournament, which ended in a playoff.

Rangers-A's drew 112,931 viewers overall, peaking at 166,075. The Colonial had an average of 86,353 viewers, with a 15-minute increment high of 132,860. As previously reported on unclebarky.com, the Rangers announced a new five-year deal Friday with TXA21, which will present 25 Friday night games per season, beginning in 2010.

NBC's prime-time Sunday night telecast of the Red Wings-Pengins Stanley Cup faceoff averaged 53,144 viewers in D-FW.

In Friday's local news derby, CBS11 took the 10 p.m. competition in total viewers while NBC5 won among 25-to-54-year-olds, the main advertiser target audience for news programming.

The Peacock again swept the 6 a.m. Nielsens while Fox4 did likewise at 6 p.m.

Fox4 also won at 5 p.m. with 25-to-54-year-olds, and tied with NBC5 for first place in total viewers.

In a rarity, WFAA8 recorded no local newscast wins. Its best showing was a second place tie at 10 p.m. in total viewers.