CBS tops among those still watching

The great summer television turnoff continued last week, with CBS setting another record low for a first-place network for the second time in three weeks, according to figures released Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research.

CBS averaged 6.20 million viewers for its prime-time programming from July 16 through Sunday, the lowest total since at least September 1991, the earliest date for which records were readily available. The previous low of 6.27 million was set by CBS the week of July 2-8.

Summer viewing of broadcast television has declined in recent years, as the public has shown a growing disinclination to watch reruns. This summer’s lack of a new breakout hit has also suppressed viewership.

CBS has won seven of the eight weeks of television’s summer season.

In the midst of CBS’ winning ways, the other networks are faring even worse. NBC was second for the week with 5.95 million, followed by Fox with 5.46 million, ABC with 4.71 million and the CW with 1.9 million.

After several disappointments this summer, ABC may have found success with a new unscripted series in the hidden-camera comedy “Just for Laughs.” The premiere drew 7.91 million viewers, the most for the debut of an ABC summer series since “Brat Camp” on July 13, 2005. It finished second in its 8-8:30 p.m. time slot last Tuesday and 14th among all programs on the five major English-language networks. ABC’s struggles resumed with its other premiere for the week, the game show “Set for Life,” which was 66th for the week and fourth in its Friday 8-9 p.m. time slot with 4.12 million viewers.

With ABC anchor Charles Gibson vacationing for the week, “NBC Nightly News” ended the 12-week winning streak of ABC’s “World News,” averaging 7.49 million viewers, its largest audience since the week of April 23 and 2% more than the previous week. ABC was second with 7.2 million viewers, its lowest figure since the week of Sept. 4, and 6% less than the previous week.

ESPN’s coverage of David Beckham’s highly promoted and much-anticipated debut with the Los Angeles Galaxy drew 1.47 million viewers.

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From City News Service

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*--* National Nielsen Viewership Here are the rankings for national prime-time network television last week (July 16-22) as compiled by Nielsen Media Research. They are based on the average number of people who watched a program from start to finish. Nielsen estimates there are 283.5 million potential viewers in the U.S. ages 2 and older. Viewership is listed in millions. Program Net- work View- ers Program Net- work View- ers *--*

*--* 1 The Singing Bee (Tue.) NBC 11.03 2 America’s Got Talent (Tue.) NBC 10.38 3 Law & Order: SVU (Tue.) NBC 9.45 4 So You Think You Can Dance (Thu.) FOX 9.07 5 CSI CBS 8.91

6 CSI: NY CBS 8.67 7 Just for Laughs (8:30 p.m.) ABC 8.64 8 Don’t Forget the Lyrics (Thu.) FOX 8.36 9 Shark (Thu.) CBS 8.31 10 Hell’s Kitchen (9 p.m.) FOX 8.25

11 So You Think You Can Dance (Wed.) FOX 8.14 12 Two and a Half Men CBS 8.13 13 CSI: Miami CBS 8.08 14 Just for Laughs (8 p.m.) ABC 7.91 15 NCIS CBS 7.73

16 Criminal Minds CBS 7.61 17 60 Minutes CBS 7.50 18 Dateline: NBC (Mon.) NBC 7.41 19 Don’t Forget the Lyrics (Wed.) FOX 7.38 20 Dateline: NBC (Wed.) NBC 7.16

21 Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? FOX 7.08 22 Big Brother 8 (Tue.) CBS 7.02 23 Dateline: NBC (Sun.) NBC 6.99 24 Big Brother 8 (Thu.) CBS 6.98 25 Primetime: Family Secrets ABC 6.91

26 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (8 ABC 6.71 p.m.) Law & Order: NBC 6.71 SVU (Sun.) 28 Law & Order NBC 6.59 29 The Next Best Thing ABC 6.56 30 Cold Case CBS 6.48

31 The Simpsons (9 p.m.) FOX 6.42 32 Last Comic Standing 5 NBC 6.39 33 The Simpsons (9:30 p.m.) FOX 6.37 34 Big Brother 8 (Sun.) CBS 6.30 35 How I Met Your Mother (9:30 p.m.) CBS 6.25

36 American Inventor ABC 6.11 37 House FOX 6.07 38 48 Hours Mystery (10 p.m.) CBS 5.84 39 Most Outrageous Moments NBC 5.80 40 The Simpsons (8:30 p.m.) FOX 5.61

41 Shaq’s Big Challenge ABC 5.42 42 Law & Order: Criminal Intent NBC 5.37 43 Wife Swap ABC 5.34 44 Shark (Sun.) CBS 5.30 45 Numb3rs CBS 5.19

46 20/20 ABC 5.11 47 “Victoria Beckham: Coming to NBC 5.05 America” (Mon.) 48 Extreme Makeover ABC 5.04 49 The New Adventures of Old Christine CBS 5.01 50 “Premios Juventud 07” UNI 4.90

51 How I Met Your Mother (8 p.m.) CBS 4.84 52 Ghost Whisperer CBS 4.79 53 Cops (8:30 p.m.) FOX 4.68 54 The Simpsons (8 p.m.) FOX 4.66 55 1 vs. 100 NBC 4.64

56 Las Vegas NBC 4.59 57 America’s Most Wanted FOX 4.58 58 Destilando Amor (Tue.) UNI 4.57 59 Supernanny ABC 4.54 60 King of Queens (8:30 p.m.) CBS 4.53

61 King of Queens (8 p.m.) CBS 4.49 62 Age of Love NBC 4.49 63 Destilando Amor (Mon.) UNI 4.48 64 Pirate Master CBS 4.44 65 My Name Is Earl NBC 4.39

66 Destilando Amor (Wed.) UNI 4.32 Friday Night CW 4.32 Smackdown 68 48 Hours Mystery (9 p.m.) CBS 4.29 69 Wonderful World of Disney ABC 4.15 70 Duelo de Pasiones (Mon.) UNI 4.14

71 Set for Life ABC 4.12 72 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (7 ABC 4.11 p.m.) 73 The Office NBC 4.08 74 Cops (8 p.m.) FOX 4.06 Ugly Betty ABC 4.06

76 “Victoria Beckham: Coming to NBC 3.96 America” (Thu.) Hell’s Kitchen-Mon FOX 3.96 (8 p.m.) 78 Don Francisco Presenta UNI 3.93 79 Traveler ABC 3.86 80 America’s Got Talent (Sat.) NBC 3.84

81 Destilando Amor (Fri.) UNI 3.79 82 Cristina UNI 3.56 83 30 Rock NBC 3.48 84 Grey’s Anatomy ABC 3.47 85 Desperate Housewives ABC 3.46

86 Ver Para Creer UNI 3.45 87 “Noche de Estrellas” UNI 3.44 88 The Singing Bee (Sat.) NBC 3.42 89 Jericho CBS 3.41 90 Scrubs NBC 3.28

91 Medium NBC 3.18 92 Bones FOX 3.10 93 The Unit (Sat.) CBS 2.98 94 Brothers & Sisters ABC 2.96 Amar Sin Limites UNI 2.96 (Tue.)

96 Standoff FOX 2.91 97 Men in Trees ABC 2.86 98 Casos Vida UNI 2.78 99 Amar Sin Limites (Wed.) UNI 2.53 100 King of the Hill FOX 2.45

101 On the Lot FOX 2.28 102 Greek ABC 2.25 103 Yo Amo Juan Querendon (Tue.) UNI 2.23 104 Amar Sin Limites (Fri.) UNI 2.06 105 Yo Amo Juan Querendon (Mon.) UNI 2.00

106 Sabado Gigante UNI 1.92 Smallville CW 1.92 108 Til Death FOX 1.84 *--*

*--* Network Averages Here is the number of viewers (in millions) that each network averaged per hour of prime time, for last week and for the season. Network

Last

week

Season

to date CBS 6.20 11.15

NBC 5.95 8.04

FOX 5.46 9.36

ABC 4.71 8.74

UNI 3.15 3.58

CW 1.90 2.88

TEL 1.08 0.90 *--*