NBC - FOX TOPS NIELSENS; LOSES VIEWERS

FOX TOPS NIELSENS; LOSES VIEWERS

Fox posted terrific ratings for its telecast of Major League Baseball's All-Star Game last week, but overall, its audience for the week shrank 13 percent from the comparable week a year ago. In fact, all broadcast networks showed some fall-off. NBC, buoyed by its America's Got Talent, was down the least with just a 3 percent decrease in viewers. CBS, the ratings leader, was down 4 percent. ABC was off 7 percent. The nightly newscasts continued to draw more viewers on average than primetime programs. NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams averaged 7.4 million viewers, compared with NBC's primetime average of 3.9 million. ABC's World News With Charles Gibson came in second with 6.5 million, compared with ABC's primetime average of 3.1 million viewers. And even the relatively low-rated CBS Evening News With Katie Couric , with 5.1 million viewers, beat the CBS primetime average of 4.7 million.

The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research 1. MLB All-Star Game, Fox, 8.9/15; 2. America's Got Talent (Tuesday), NBC, 8.0/13; 3. MLB All-Star Pregame, Fox, 7.0/13; 4. America's Got Talent (Wednesday 9 00 p.m.), NBC, 6.9/12; 5. NCIS , CBS, 6.7/12; 6. Two and a Half Men , CBS, 5.8/10; 7. The Mentalist , CBS, 5.6/10; 8. CSI Miami , CBS, 5.4/9; 9. The Bachelorette , ABC, 5.3/9; 10. The Big Bang Theory , CBS, 5.2/9; 10. (Tie) CSI NY , CBS, 5.2/10.

22/07/2009