The popularity of ‘CSI’ keeps the network at the top of the Neilsens ratings list.
NEW YORK (AP) – CBS handily won the prime-time ratings race for the second week of the television season, with “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” continuing as the nation’s most popular show.
NBC was tops among the 18- to 49-year-old age demographic that advertisers care about most, but its popularity is off from last year.
The two networks still dominate series television. Among the 28 most-watched programs in prime time last week, the only nonsports show from another network was ABC’s “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter.”
Viewership for NBC on Friday night was down 40 percent from the same night a year ago, with “Miss Match” and “Boomtown” failing to catch interest so far.
NBC has also seen viewership declines for longtime comedies “Friends” and “Frasier.” Kelsey Grammer’s “Frasier” was second in its time slot to ABC’s “According to Jim” last week.
TLC recorded its highest ratings ever on Sunday night when 9.1 million people watched a special edition of “Trading Spaces.” It was a bigger audience than NBC saw for its competing show, “American Dreams.”
For the week, CBS averaged 13.1 million viewers (8.7 rating, 14 share), NBC had 10.9 million viewers (7.4, 12), ABC had 9.8 million (6.5, 11), Fox had 9.6 million (6.4, 10), the WB had 4.6 million (3.0, 5), UPN had 3.4 million (2.3, 4) and Pax TV had 950,000 (0.7, 1).
NBC’s “Nightly News” won the evening news ratings race, averaging 9 million viewers (6.6 rating, 14 share). ABC’s “World News Tonight” had 8.8 million (6.3, 13) and the “CBS Evening News” had 7.5 million (5.4, 11).
A ratings point represents 1,084,000 households, or 1 percent of the nation’s estimated 108.4 million TV homes. The share is the percentage of in-use televisions tuned to a given show.
For the week of Sept. 29-Oct. 5, the top 10 shows, their networks and viewerships: “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” CBS, 26.7 million; “Friends,” NBC, 22.4 million; “ER,” NBC, 20.8 million; “Everybody Loves Raymond,” CBS, 20.5 million; “Survivor: Pearl Islands,” CBS, 19.7 million; “NFL Monday Night Football: Green Bay at Chicago,” ABC, 17.7 million; “Law & Order,” NBC, 17.5 million; “CSI: Miami,” CBS, 17.3 million; “Scrubs,” NBC, 17.2 million; “Will & Grace,” NBC, 16.8 million.
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