A Photo Finish in Nielsen Race

Only eight-tenths of a rating point separated the three major networks in prime time last week, according to figures released Tuesday by A.C. Nielsen Co. CBS was first with a 12.8 rating, followed by ABC at 12.3 and NBC at 12. Each point is said to represent 921,000 homes. CBS continues to lead for the season as a whole. Bob Hope’s holiday show on NBC was the highest rated special of the week, ranking 16th among the week’s 95 prime-time programs. Among other holiday programming, NBC’s “Christmas in Washington” was No. 30, NBC’s “In the Nick of Time” and CBS’ “Frosty the Snowman” tied at No. 35 and CBS’ “The Wish That Changed Christmas” was No. 66. The full list of ratings is on F16.

* “PrimeTime Live” scored its best ratings ever last week with Diane Sawyer’s interview of Patricia Bowman, the woman who accused William Kennedy Smith of rape. The ABC News series was seen in about 16.3 million homes and ranked No. 8 for the week, outperforming the two network shows opposite it: NBC’s “L.A. Law” and CBS’ “Knots Landing.”

TV Ratings

Show Points Share 1. “Roseanne” (ABC) 20.6 31 2. “60 Minutes” (CBS) 19.4 34 3. “Monday Night Football” (ABC) 19.0 32 4. “Home Improvement” (ABC) 18.7 29 5. “Coach” (ABC) 18.1 28 “Murphy Brown” (CBS) 18.1 27 * “PrimeTime Live” (ABC) 17.7 29