CBS - FOX TAKES LEAD AS SEASON'S NO. 1 NETWORK

During a week in which Fox Broadcasting took over the lead from CBS to become the most-watched network of the season, the show that put it there, American Idol, drew more viewers than all its competition combined. Tuesday's "performance" edition drew 29.88 million viewers, while Wednesday's "results" show was not far behind with 27.13 million. It was a different tale with Fox's Canterbury's Law, which drew 7.72 million in its premiere on Monday night and the debut of Friday night's The Return of Jezebel James was shot down with only 3.18 million viewers. For the week, Fox averaged a 6.8 rating and an 11 share, representing 11.3 million viewers. CBS and NBC tied for second place with a 5.0/8, while ABC trailed with a 4.0/7. Meanwhile, veteran media journalist Alex Ben Block, in his online Hollywood Today report, noted that all of the major broadcast networks continue to lose viewers. Citing a report prepared for ad agency Rubin Postaer, Block noted that network viewership is down as much as 12 percent since September, with only ABC showing improvement over last year. The report blames the writers' strike, changes in the way Nielsen measures audiences, a glut of reality shows and the failure of network TV to produce a single breakout hit this season.

The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research:
1. American Idol (Tuesday), Fox, 16.9/26; 2. American Idol (Wednesday), Fox, 15.8/24; 3. Law and Order, NBC, 7.9/13; 3. Survivor: Micronesia, CBS, 7.9/13; 5. Two and a Half Men, CBS, 7.6/12; 6. Lost, ABC, 7.5/12; 7. Deal or No Deal (Monday), NBC, 7.4/11; 8. 60 Minutes, CBS, 7.3/13; 8. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS, 7.3/11; 10. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, ABC, 7.1/11.

19/03/2008