NBC limps to the finish line as prime-time TV season comes to a close
NEW YORK - NBC is limping to the close of the prime-time TV season.
Only one of the network's shows, "Law & Order: SVU," finished among the 25 most-watched shows last week, ranking No. 16, according to Nielsen Media Research.
"Shark," a drama that CBS is cancelling, was seen by more people last week than any other NBC show except "SVU."
The network's prime-time average of 5.5 million viewers last week, was just more than half of first-place CBS's average.
The showing during a ratings "sweeps" month points to the challenge NBC has in the next few months.
One advantage is the network's coverage of the Summer Olympics in China, which should give promoters the chance to remind people of upcoming shows.
The prime-time performance makes it all the more impressive that NBC has managed to stay in first place for its evening news, late-night lineup and early morning.
For the week, CBS averaged 10.3 million viewers (6.7 rating, 11 share), ABC had 9.6 million (6.2, 11), Fox 9.2 million (5.6, nine) and NBC 5.5 million (3.6, six).
A ratings point represents 1,128,000 households, or one per cent of the estimated 112.8 million TV homes in the United States. The share is the percentage of in-use televisions tuned to a given show.
For the week of May 12-18, the top 10 shows, their networks and viewerships: "American Idol" (Wednesday), Fox, 24.86 million; "American Idol" (Tuesday), Fox, 24.77 million; "Dancing With the Stars" (Monday), ABC, 18.47 million; "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," CBS, 18.06 million; "Dancing With the Stars" (Tuesday), ABC, 16.99 million; "Desperate Housewives," ABC, 16.84 million; "Grey's Anatomy," ABC, 15.55 million; "House," Fox, 15.02 million; "NCIS," CBS, 14.88 million, "Without a Trace," CBS, 14.54 million.
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ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co. CBS is a division of CBS Corp. Fox is a unit of News Corp. NBC is owned by General Electric Co. Telemundo is owned by General Electric. TeleFutura is a division of Univision. ION Television is owned by ION Media Networks.
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