‘West’ Heading South

Despite claiming a third consecutive Emmy last month as best dramatic series, NBC’s “The West Wing” appears to be losing some clout with its Nielsen constituency.

The last two weeks the political drama has posted the lowest ratings since its first season in 1999. Viewing is off sharply compared to a year ago--when the audience soared above 20 million after a topical episode regarding tensions in the Middle East--and has declined each week this fall. Wednesday’s episode still won its time period but slipped to 16 million viewers, based on Nielsen Media Research estimates.

Moreover, the program is looking particularly vulnerable among the younger demographics that the networks use as currency in their dealings with advertisers. On Wednesday, for example, 6.8 million of its viewers fell into the 18 to 49 age bracket, per Nielsen data, well behind the 8.3 million viewers in that category watching ABC’s unscripted dating show “The Bachelor,” which attracted 12.8 million viewers overall.

If “The West Wing” is experiencing a ratings slump, it has picked an inopportune time, since NBC and Warner Bros. Television, which produces the show, have yet to hammer out a new contract that would extend beyond this season.

Before the fall began, sources were anticipating that “West Wing” would command a huge raise from the nearly $2 million an episode the network now pays the studio. A significant increase remains likely, especially since CBS and ABC are both said to have tacitly expressed interest in acquiring the program should NBC balk at Warner Bros.’ asking price.

NBC officials declined to discuss the show’s ratings on Thursday but have long pointed out that the program garners premium rates from sponsors because it delivers a disproportionately high number of affluent, better-educated viewers--ranking first among prime-time programs in the percentage of viewers with an income level above $75,000.

“ ‘The West Wing’s’ qualitative and quantitative merit is still quite high, particularly among the upscale audience and light TV viewers,” said John Rash, senior vice president and director of broadcast negotiations at Campbell Mithun, a Minneapolis-based advertising agency.

Still, the program’s blockbuster credentials and long-term durability appear less assured than they did a year ago, which could somewhat weaken Warner Bros.’ negotiating position.

Competition has become particularly intense on Wednesdays, with rival networks almost uniformly seeking to counter “West Wing” by targeting younger viewers. In addition to “The Bachelor” and CBS’ “The Amazing Race,” this week saw the WB network introduce “Birds of Prey,” a superhero series that drew an impressive 7.6 million viewers and fared well among young adults.

“Wednesday at 9 o’clock is arguably the most competitive time period on television,” said Warner Bros. Television President Peter Roth, suggesting that some erosion in the program’s younger audience was to be expected.

Notably, AOL Time Warner units produce five of the six programs in that hour: “Birds of Prey” is produced by Warner Bros., as is the Fox series “Fastlane,” which is currently being preempted by playoff baseball. “The Bachelor” and UPN’s “The Twilight Zone” come from other studio subsidiaries.

“Creatively, the show could not be in better shape,” Roth added, referring to the present story line following President Bartlet’s reelection efforts, which will conclude in November.

Although “The Bachelor” represents a clear bright spot for ABC, meanwhile, the network sought to address its rating woes elsewhere on Thursday, confirming an overhaul of its prime-time schedule that alters three nights and includes canceling the new dramatic series “Push, Nevada” and “That Was Then.”

The changes will include moving “The Drew Carey Show” and “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” from Mondays to Fridays at 9 p.m. where “That Was Then” aired and shifting the detective series “Monk” to Monday nights.