>State of the Union coverage (most of which is not actually rated because it is “sustaining” programming, i.e. no commercials) dominated the night.  The night only counts about half as much as a normal Tuesday in the season record books because only about 90 minutes on each network (60 on FOX) was commercially sponsored.    […]

>CBS moved into first place Wednesday night with a 3.2 rating from 8-11 pm.  Survivor and Criminal Minds matched season lows, while CSI managed a very respectable rating at 10 pm.  However, it was enough to win the night, as viewers’ attention turns to Christmas and other holiday preparation and TV usage begins a rapid […]

>A pretty weak night on network TV compared to the same night last year, with three networks down and one up only low single digits.  CBS did the best, winning Tuesday night with a 3.3 Adult 18-49 rating in the fast nationals, up 3% versus the same night last November.  FOX was second with a […]

> One of the most highly-anticipated premieres last night (of a show with a long and torturous road through development and on to the air) came and went very quietly.  FOX’s Terra Nova didn’t exactly flop, but it certainly has to be rated a big disappointment.  In contrast, CBS has positioned itself as the network […]

NBC and FOX battled to a tie last night with a good mix of original programming.  ABC was in the hunt until 10 pm, when the atrocious Glass House destroyed any momentum.   NBC aired more U.S. Olympics Trials from 8-9 pm (this time swimming, featuring a rare loss by Michael Phelps) and scored a 1.9 […]

Last night, NBC averaged a preliminary 11.4 rating with Adults 18-49 in prime time.  This edges the Beijing rating for the same night, which itself towered over the other recent summer Games.  Last night the NBC rating peaked at a 13.5 in the 9:30 half hour and held steady at a 13.3 in the 10 […]

NBC got The Voice off to a good start last night, a 4.1 preliminary Adult 18-49 rating from 8-10 pm.  The singing competition show started at a 3.2 in the 8:00 half hour, quickly building to a 3.9 at 8:30 and 4.6 at 9:00 before peaking at a 4.7 at 9:30.  The last cycle of The Voice premiered with a […]

The fourth Thursday of the season offered a big opportunity for ABC, CBS and NBC, as FOX had to pre-empt The X Factor for a postseason MLB game that no one cares about.  A lot of displaced X Factor viewers decided not to sample the other network fare and scattered to cable.  No broadcast network could claim  an […]