NBA Finals Help NBC Score Another Weekly Win

The NBA championship series helped lift NBC to its third ratings win in the last four weeks, despite basketball’s lowest shooting percentage in nearly two decades, based on results issued Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research.

NBC discovered just how much the network misses Michael Jordan, as ratings for the NBA Finals, which featured a star-making performance by San Antonio’s Tim Duncan, dropped roughly 40% compared to a year ago--a far steeper decline than the 15% to 20% officials had predicted before the series started. The percentage of households tuning in slipped to the lowest level since 1981, back when most playoff games aired in the afternoon instead of prime time.

Beyond basketball, the networks have begun gradually repositioning some of their key players, such as the animated comedy “Family Guy,” which occupied what will be its regular spot on Fox’s Thursday lineup. The move had little impact on “Frasier,” though the new show did draw more teenagers than the Emmy-winning NBC sitcom.

After airing “The Nanny’s” one-hour “finale” during the May rating sweeps, CBS didn’t make much noise with the final two original episodes, which aired Wednesday. --BRIAN LOWRY

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 House-holds 1. Friends KNBC 682,968 2. Frasier KNBC 647,023 3. Will & Grace KNBC 595,672 4. Dateline: NBC (Tue.) KNBC 585,401 5. 60 Minutes KCBS 564,861 6. “NBA Finals” (Fri.) KNBC 559,726 7. “No One Could” KABC 528,915 8. Jesse KNBC 513,510 9. Ally McBeal KTTV 503,240 10. The Practice KABC 472,429 Everybody Loves Raymond KCBS 472,429

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