CBS Is Last--Again--in February TV Sweeps

These are the prime times that try CBS’ soul. Preliminary ratings from the just-ended February “sweeps” period show the network still in last place, facing its third consecutive season as No. 3.

But as expected, first-place NBC scored its eighth straight victory in the sweeps, averaging a 15.1 rating, handily beating the 13.0 average of ABC. CBS averaged a 12.6. Each rating point represents 921,000 homes.

The sweeps period that ended Wednesday is one of four periods of audience measurement in 211 cities by the A. C. Nielsen Co. The results are important to local stations, which use them to help set advertising rates.

On Wednesday, Alan Wurtzel, ABC senior vice president for research, said the Nielsen returns he provided lacked the last two days of the February sweeps period, but “I don’t see any major changes” in the outcome.

Speaking of the ratings slide of the once-dominant “CBS Evening News” and the rise of ABC’s “World News Tonight,” Wurtzel predicted that the latter’s string of victories will continue.

ABC’s broadcast, anchored by Peter Jennings, has won the ratings race for seven consecutive weeks and been victorious in 19 of the last 20 weeks, according to ABC.

“The CBS Evening News” with Dan Rather has been in third place for five of the last eight weeks, and tied once this year with Tom Brokaw’s “NBC Evening News” for second place, CBS estimates show.

“In essence, what we see is that CBS and NBC will be fighting it out for second-place position for some time to come,” Wurtzel said.