‘COSBY’ PREEMPTION GIVES CBS THE NIELSEN PRIZE

CBS snapped NBC’s 17-week streak in the weekly prime-time ratings race last week and gave the Peacock network a taste of what life would be like without “The Cosby Show,” figures showed Tuesday.

NBC preempted its blockbuster Thursday night lineup, including the smash hit “The Cosby Show,” for the Orange Bowl game and the move gave CBS the prime-time win. CBS also won the news ratings battle even though Charles Kuralt, not Dan Rather, was manning the anchor post at “CBS Evening News.”

“This just goes to show that without Cosby, we are two equal networks,” said one CBS executive.

“It was an atypical week,” said NBC’s Virginia Holden.

For the week ending Jan. 4, the 15th week of the fall season, CBS won with a 16.8 rating and 27 share, NBC was next with a 16.3 rating and 26 share and ABC was third with a 13.0 rating and 21 share, according to the A.C. Nielsen Co.

In news, CBS was first with a 13.7 rating and 23 share. “NBC Nightly News” had a 12.2 rating and 21 share and “ABC World News Tonight” had a 10.9 rating and 19 share.

In Los Angeles, meanwhile, KTLA Channel 5 won the battle of the Rose Parade coverage for the 12th consecutive year, attracting more viewers than the other three stations combined.

KTLA’s live telecast of the Jan. 1 spectacle in Pasadena garnered a 24.6 Nielsen rating, meaning it was viewed in about 1.1 million homes in the Los Angeles area.

By contrast, KTTV Channel 11 got a 10.4 rating, KNBC Channel 4 got a 5.6, and KCBS Channel 2 got a 2.9.