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Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Fri.-Sat., Jan. 5-7)

By ED BARK
Misery loves company, and the Dallas Cowboys had plenty of it Saturday night on NBC.

The team's super-deflating playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks averaged a mammoth 36.3 rating (863,940 homes) in D-FW, ballooning to a 42 rating (999,600 homes) in the jaw-dropping final 15 minutes. Yes, that's essentially one million living room witnesses to QB Tony Romo's ultimate agony of defeat.

Sunday night's Dallas Mavericks loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, which snapped a 13-game winning streak, averaged 192,780 homes locally. The Ch. 21 telecast beat all competing programming from 10 to 11 p.m., with 235,620 homes tuned in.

Friday's Mavs-San Antonio Spurs game on Ch. 21, also shown on cable, averaged just 99,095 homes for the broadcast version. Those numbers increased as the game went on.

On the entertainment front, Sunday night's twin premieres of NBC's Grease: You're the one That I Want and The Apprentice got off to sluggish starts in D-FW. One That I Want pulled in 154,700 homes in finishing third from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Donald Trump's latest "You're fired" sale, originating from L.A., drooped to 121,380 homes, placing fourth in its concluding hour behind ABC, CBS and Fox4's local 9 p.m. newscast.

Friday's local news wars again were dominated by NBC5 and Belo8.

In total homes, Belo8 won at 10 p.m., 6 p.m. and 5 p.m., with the Peacock taking the 6 a.m. contest.

Among 25-to-54-year-olds, the target advertiser audience for news programming, NBC5 took first at 10 p.m. and 6 p.m. while tying Belo8 at 5 p.m.

Fox4 broke through to take the 6 a.m. battle.

It will be interesting to see if Belo8's glassy, glossy Victory Park digs have any impact on the tightening morning race. The ABC station unveiled its new studios on Monday. Daybreak and the noon and 5 p.m. newscasts will be originating from what otherwise is still mostly a construction site awaiting further developments.