Controversial ’60 Minutes’ Helps Push CBS to Top

Footage of Dr. Jack Kevorkian performing an assisted suicide gave “60 Minutes” a jolt, resulting in the CBS newsmagazine’s biggest audience since March and helping the network score a weekly victory as the November sweeps near their end, based on results issued Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research.

CBS faced stiff competition Sunday from ABC, which delivered better-than-usual ratings thanks to “The Santa Clause,” with Tim Allen, and a remake of “Rear Window,” starring Christopher Reeve--the latter drawing ABC’s biggest Sunday audience since February. “Window” still trailed CBS’ “Saint Maybe,” and both movies beat Fox’s “The X-Files,” which is running 21% behind its average at the same point last year.

ABC’s “NYPD Blue” tuned up for Jimmy Smits’ final episode with its highest rating since December, while “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “JAG” continue to be bright spots for CBS.

Fox again finished a strong second Thursday with its real-video specials, “World’s Worst Drivers” and “Busted on the Job,” contributing to the significant drop--especially among male viewers--by NBC’s “Must-See TV” comedies.

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CABLE TOP TEN

Here are Nielsen’s top 10 cable programs in prime time last week, also ranked by total viewers (in millions).

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Program Network Viewers 1. NFL Football ESPN 9.47 2. Wrestling (Mon., 10 p.m.) USA 5.94 3. Wrestling (Mon., 9 p.m.) USA 5.66 4. Wrestling (Mon., 8 p.m.) TNT 5.39 5. NFL Prime Time ESPN 4.76 6. Wrestling (Thur., 9:05 p.m.) TBS 4.51 7. Wrestling (Sun., 7 p.m.) USA4 4.44 8. Wrestling (Mon., 9 p.m.) TNT 4.17 -- Wrestling (Mon., 10 p.m.) TNT 4.08 10. Rugrats (Mon., 8 p.m.) NICK 3.82

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Network Averages

Here is the number of viewers that each network averaged per hour of prime time, for last week and for the season.

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Last week Season to date CBS 13.92 million 13.20 ABC 13.33 12.38 NBC 12.94 13.13 FOX 11.51 11.04 WB 4.90 4.71 UPN 2.71 2.74

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Southland Viewing

Here are Nielsen’s Top 10 prime-time programs in the Los Angeles area during the same week. The rankings are based on the number of households watching.

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Program Station Households 1. Friends KNBC 1,021,883 2. Frasier KNBC 856,578 3. Jesse KNBC 846,560 4. Ally McBeal KTTV 826,523 5. Veronica’s Closet KNBC 731,348 6. “Busted on the Job 3” KTTV 706,301 -- Dharma & Greg KABC 706,301 8. The Drew Carey Show KABC 676,246 9. Drew Carey Show (9:30 p.m.) KABC 671,237 10. “Pretty Woman” KTLA 621,145

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Source: Nielsen Media Research.