TV Ratings : Five Network Newsmagazines Finish in Top 10

Americans can’t seem to get enough of network newsmagazines these days. Of the eight that were broadcast last week, four ranked among the five highest-rated programs on television, and three others finished among the Top 16.

Topping the A.C. Nielsen Co. list released Tuesday was a repeat of “60 Minutes,” whose reports by correspondents Mike Wallace, Morley Safer and Steve Kroft were seen in about 14.3 million homes. ABC’s “20/20,” with Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters, was a close second.

The only newsmagazine that is struggling this summer is Fox’s newcomer “Front Page.” It tied at No. 76 among the week’s 88 prime-time network programs.

CBS won the network competition, with ABC second and NBC third. Fox ran fourth overall but said that during the 16 hours it ran programming against its rivals, it drew the most teen-age viewers. ABC said it was No. 1 for the week among men and women in the 18-49 age range.

Southland Ratings

Here are A. C. Nielsen’s Top 10 prime-time programs in the Los Angeles area during the same week. Each rating point equals 49,657 households.

Sta- Rat- Program tion ing 1. Home Improvement KABC 16.8 2. Roseanne KABC 16.0 3. 20/20 KABC 15.9 4. 60 Minutes KCBS 15.5 5. The Simpsons KTTV 15.4 6. Married ... With Children KTTV 13.4 7. Martin KTTV 13.1 8. Dateline NBC KNBC 13.0 9. PrimeTime Live KABC 12.9 10. Coach KABC 12.7

Weekly Averages

CBS: 9.5

ABC: 9.2

NBC: 8.1

FOX: 5.0