Networks Subside Into Summer Slump

The dog days of summer are here for the networks. Ratings released Tuesday by the A.C. Nielsen Co. showed that ABC, CBS and NBC combined to attract only 60% of the viewing audience during prime time last week. That means four of every 10 TV sets in use were tuned to something other than the Big Three, whose schedules were dominated by reruns. CBS and ABC suffered the most, with each drawing only 18% of the audience, compared to 24% for NBC. The networks together attracted about 68% of the prime-time viewers during the regular season.

* First-run programming is not necessarily a cure for the networks’ viewing woes. CBS served up a two-hour special last Thursday that failed to make a dent in the ratings for reruns of NBC’s “Cheers,” “Dear John” and “L.A. Law,” all of which finished in the Top 10. The full list of weekly ratings is on Page 9.

TV RATINGS

Show Points Share 1.”Roseanne” 18.2 32 ABC 2.”Cheers” 17.5 33 NBC 3.”Dear John” 17.3 32 NBC 4.”The Cosby Show” 16.2 34 NBC 5.”Golden Girls” 16.1 36 NBC *”Songwriters’ Hall of Fame” 8.9 17 CBS