Ratings Feast for NBC

NBC’s Peacock will celebrate Thanksgiving by feasting on its fifth consecutive win in a major ratings sweeps, although the networks in general don’t have much to crow about.

Combined prime-time viewing of NBC, ABC and CBS dropped by roughly 5% compared to last year during the four-week November survey (which officially concluded Wednesday), as the three major networks together accounted for just 51% of the available prime-time audience--a record sweeps low.

Even with Fox’s 12% share of audience added in, the networks have still seen a gradual slippage to other viewing alternatives, with basic cable growing substantially compared to November 1995.

On the plus side for broadcasters, CBS and Fox both exhibited marginal improvement from a year ago. By more clearly differentiating their profiles, with CBS returning to its traditional roots, the networks thus appear to have at least temporarily slowed last year’s wholesale ratings drop.

Much of the overall decline, in fact, is attributable to ABC, which fell more than 10% in prime time, prompting NBC scheduling senior vice president Preston Beckman to say ABC is “in free-fall” while the other networks are relatively stable.

Results from sweeps periods in November, February and May are used to determine advertising rates on local stations. For that reason, networks load up their best programming, hoping to boost prime time leading into affiliates’ late newscasts.

Through Tuesday, NBC easily topped the prime-time competition, averaging more than 16.5 million viewers a night. CBS and ABC remained in a remarkably close race, with CBS holding a narrow lead before figuring in Wednesday’s numbers, both averaging more than 14.7 million viewers. Fox attracted nearly 11.7 million viewers on average.

NBC’s dominance--which is even more pronounced in the key demographics that serve as the main criteria in setting ad rates--stems largely from the overwhelming power of its Thursday hits “ER,” “Seinfeld” and “Friends.” The network also aired its highest-rated November miniseries in five years, “Pandora’s Clock,” and is making a strong showing Tuesdays opposite ABC’s increasingly vulnerable lineup.

NBC’s success extended beyond prime time. The network ranked first in the early morning (where “Today” holds a big lead over “Good Morning America”) and in late night, with “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” expected to post its widest victory margin ever versus “Late Show With David Letterman.”

NBC also projected that final results will give “The Tonight Show” its highest November sweeps since 1989, when Johnny Carson was still the host and “The Pat Sajak Show” was its competition. “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” also delivered its biggest sweeps since premiering in 1993.

CBS’ overall viewing was buoyed by “Touched by an Angel’s” heavenly numbers following “60 Minutes,” improvement Wednesday thanks to “The Nanny” and continued strength with its Saturday posse, led by “Walker, Texas Ranger.”

That said, the network’s year-to-year growth compares to a poor performance last season and has come principally from the audience abandoned when CBS canceled shows like “Murder, She Wrote” to chase younger viewers with programs such as “Central Park West.”

As a result, CBS remains in fourth place among adults age 18-49--the most important sales index for the other networks. CBS’ high-profile new comedies “Cosby” and “Ink”--starring Bill Cosby and Ted Danson, respectively--have also thus far fallen short of expectations.

ABC, meanwhile, has trouble on several fronts. “Roseanne” collapsed during sweeps and trailed NBC’s “Mad About You,” while veteran hits such as “Grace Under Fire,” “Family Matters,” “Home Improvement” and “NYPD Blue” have also shown their age.

Viewing declined on some of ABC’s strongest nights, including Wednesday and Friday. Most significantly, ABC’s once-unbeatable Tuesday lineup dropped 16% compared to last November, allowing NBC to achieve near-parity. ABC’s most highly touted new show, the Michael J. Fox comedy “Spin City,” is, to the surprise of many, being matched by NBC’s “Caroline in the City.”

Locked in a virtual second-place tie with CBS, ABC--the No. 1 network two seasons ago--is also dueling upstart Fox in key demographics due to a sharp drop in those categories. Other networks delight in bringing to mind the pledge by Michael Eisner--chairman of ABC parent the Walt Disney Co.--who promised after last February that the network’s disappointing sweeps results wouldn’t be repeated.

Moreover, ABC’s competitive standing could suffer in January when the “Monday Night Football” season ends. High ratings from football have “been shoring up [ABC’s] weakness,” said David Poltrack, CBS executive vice president of marketing and research. “They’re going to have a tough second half unless they can take some remedial action.”

In fact, all the networks are looking forward to January after an uneven start this fall. NBC Entertainment President Warren Littlefield said viewing patterns are finally settling in after prime-time disruptions in October associated with the presidential election and baseball playoffs.

After a sluggish start to the season, Fox’s biggest scheduling gamble paid some dividends during November. Moving “The X-Files” to Sunday improved results in the show’s new time period by more than 30% over what “Married . . . With Children” drew there a year ago. The network’s ratings did drop substantially on Fridays, however, with the new drama “Millennium” filling the former “X-Files” time slot.

Fox also boosted its ratings with specials such as “When Animals Attack II” and “Close Call: Cheating Death.” On Tuesday, NBC West Coast President Don Ohlmeyer again blasted Fox for airing such programs, calling the shows--which in some instances showed people dying--”one step short of a snuff film.”

The two emerging networks, WB and UPN, which each program three nights a week, posted gains as well off their low viewing base. Both attract 5% or less of the audience nationally but do better in big cities like Los Angeles, where they air on Channels 5 and 13, respectively.

Results in November suggest TV viewing habits continue to fragment. CBS’ Poltrack noted that even cable has room for concern, since new channels siphon viewers from established cable services as well as broadcasters.

“There’s erosion going on within cable, where the big are suffering at the hands of the small, just as the big networks are suffering at the hands of cable,” he said.

Still, Turner Networks’ research chief Bob Sieber indicated that cable’s gains have been steady and primarily come from beating the networks at their own game.

“We’re seeing very strong growth for cable, and it’s really more programming-driven than anything else,” he said.

Nickelodeon, capitalizing on a shortage of network fare aimed at children, is the top-rated cable service on a 24-hour basis, followed by TBS, ESPN and TNT.