TV Ratings : CBS Grabs Brass Ring . . . Twice

CBS not only won last week’s ratings race but also is leading an upswing in summer viewing by all of the Big Three networks, the A.C. Nielsen research firm reported Tuesday.

With the July Fourth weekend cutting into viewing, CBS took the week overall with a modest 8.9 rating compared to 8.6 for ABC and 7.9 for NBC. Fox TV, the fourth network, had a 5.7. (One rating point equals 921,000 homes. The full list is on F9.)

The networks’ strategy of offering more new summer series to slow viewer defection during the rerun season appears to be working thus far. In the six weeks since the Memorial Day weekend, the Big Three have increased their ratings 6% over the same period last year. CBS, with such popular new series as “Grapevine” and “Raven,” is up 9%; ABC is up 6% and NBC rose 2%.

CBS earned the ratings championship in the 1991-92 season with the help of two series that arrived as summer entries, “Northern Exposure” and “Top Cops.”

* “Jack’s Place,” a recent ABC series that is winding up its successful tryout and has been picked up as a midseason show for next season, fared strongly, placing No. 12. Hal Linden stars as the owner of a neighborhood restaurant-bar.

Points Share 1. “Roseanne” (ABC) 16.1 29 2. “Return of the Jedi” (NBC) 14.5 25 3. “Coach” (ABC) 14.4 25 4. “60 Minutes” (CBS) 14.2 32 5. “Home Improvement” (ABC) 13.8 26 * “Jack’s Place” (ABC) 11.3 20