Ratings Up for First Two Rounds

CBS’ coverage of the first two rounds of the men’s NCAA tournament drew an average overnight rating of 5.6 with a 13 share of the audience, the network reported. The overnight average rating, derived from the nation’s 36 largest markets, represents a three-year high. In 1996, the average was a 5.3 and it was 5.1 in 1995.

CBS said all four of Saturday’s second-round games were the highest rated in three years, and Sunday’s third regionalized game of the day--Stanford-Wake Forest--drew a 9.2, the highest rated final second-round game since UCLA-Michigan in 1993 drew an 11.1.