TV Ratings : CBS Continues Its Winning Ways

With seven of the top 15 shows--all from the network’s Sunday and Monday lineups--CBS registered another win in the prime-time ratings last week. Figures released Tuesday by the A.C. Nielsen Co. showed that CBS programs reached an average of 12.3 million homes, compared to 10.9 million for ABC, 10.6 million for NBC and 8 million for Fox. It was CBS’ 21st triumph in 28 weeks this season. “Roseanne” garnered its highest rating since January, 1990, to finish as the week’s most-watched program, with about 22 million households tuning in. Fox, meanwhile, said that it was happy with the time period switch on Sunday of “Roc” and “In Living Color.” The latter got its biggest rating ever and ranked second among the four networks from 8:30 to 9 p.m. Fox scored an even bigger victory on Thursday as “The Simpsons,” for only the second time, outdrew an original episode of NBC’s “The Cosby Show.”

* A Neil Simon play on television? Viewers apparently were underwhelmed at the prospect last Thursday. The adaptation of “Broadway Bound” on ABC attracted viewers in about 7.7 million homes--only 14% of the available audience--and ranked 74th among the week’s 89 prime-time network programs.

Points Share 1. “Roseanne” (ABC) 23.8 37 2. “60 Minutes” (CBS) 21.2 35 3. “Northern Exposure” (CBS) 19.6 34 4. “Murphy Brown” (CBS) 19.3 29 5. “Home Improvement” (ABC) 19.2 30 * “Broadway Bound” (ABC) 8.4 14

(Each rating point represents 921,000 homes.

Share is the percentage of viewing audience.)