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Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Fri.-Sun., Sept. 22-24) -- Pack-Bengals top weekend charts

By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Absent a Dallas Cowboys game, Sunday’s D-FW ratings pacesetter turned out to be CBS’ featured late afternoon/early evening game between the Green Bay Packers (who won in overtime) and visiting Cincinnati Bengals.

Broadcast booth rookie Tony Romo’s continued spot-on analysis was an added lure, with the game attracting 508,977 viewers and 211,689 in the advertiser-coveted 18-to-49 age range.

NBC’s Sunday Night Football matchup, with the Washington Redskins dominating the visiting Oakland Raiders, finished close behind with 465,350 total viewers while tying Packers-Bengals with 211,689 viewers in the 18-to-49 motherlode.

Sunday also brought the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery, which was delayed to 7:48 p.m. because of the football over-run. The lone free episode, on the CBS broadcast network, averaged 261,760 total viewers, but just 51,314 in the key 18-to-49 demographic. Discovery otherwise will be seen only on the network’s pay-per-month streaming site, CBS All Access.

On Saturday, TCU’s decisive road win against favored Oklahoma State easily topped the college football parade with 269,031 total viewers on ESPN. The runner-up attraction, Fox’s prime-time Notre Dame-Michigan State clash, placed second with 109,067 viewers while ABC’s competing thriller, Penn State’s last-second win over Iowa, surprisingly averaged just 72,711 viewers.

Friday’s prime-time pacesetter, NBC’s Dateline, had 130,880 total viewers and 41,692 in the 18-to-49 demographic. The competing, Austin-based Harvey Can[’t Mess With Texas relief special (from 9 to 10 p.m. on TEGNA8) drew 109,067 total viewers and 25,657 in the 18-to-49 age range. Participating celebrities included James Taylor, Paul Simon, Bonnie Raitt and Willie Nelson.

Here are Friday’s local news derby results.

NBC5 led in total viewers at 10 p.m. while TEGNA8 drew the most 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).

Fox4 again swept the 6 a.m. competitions while the Peacock controlled the early evening with twin wins at both 5 and 6 p.m.

LOCAL TV PROGRAMMING NOTE: TEGNA8 has the over-the air simulcast of the Cowboys-Arizona Cardinals Monday Night Football game on ESPN. That will waylay the scheduled Monday, Sept. 25th premiere of ABC’s new The Good Doctor, which TEGNA8 will send to 7 p.m. Tuesday. As for Dancing with the Stars, it’s moving to the station’s 8.2 digital channel for a one-night stand. Good luck with that.

Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net