ABC left behind in summer's reality TV chase
NEW YORK (CNN.COM/AP) -- Left behind in the summer's reality TV boomlet, ABC can at least be comforted that football season is just around the corner. "Monday Night Football" is the network's only dependable "reality" hit, and test-run coverage of the Hall of Fame exhibition game between Houston and the New York Giants last Monday was ABC's most popular program of the week.
Its rivals all have reality shows that have caught on this summer, particularly NBC, whose "Dog Eat Dog," "Meet My Folks" and "Crime & Punishment" all hit Nielsen Media Research's top 20 last week.
Racing toward its conclusion, Fox's "American Idol" was the third most-watched program of the week. The third edition of CBS' "Big Brother" is also a moderate hit.
Shows that didn't click with viewers last week include ABC's news narrative from an Arkansas childrens hospital, "ICU"; NBC's "Rerun Show"; and Fox's newsmagazine "Pulse."
NBC narrowly won the week, averaging 7.9 million viewers in prime-time to CBS' 7.7 million (both 5.4 ratings, 10 shares). ABC averaged 6.3 million (4.2, 8), Fox had 5.6 million (3.5, 7), UPN had 2.6 million (1.7, 3), the WB had 1.7 million (1.6, 3) and Pax TV had 1.2 million (0.8, 2).
NBC's "Nightly News" won the evening news ratings race with 9 million viewers (6.4 rating, 14 share). ABC's "World News Tonight" had 8.1 million (5.9, 13) and the "CBS Evening News" had 7.5 million (5.2, 11).
A ratings point represents 1,055,000 households, or 1 percent of the nation's estimated 105.5 million TV homes. The share is the percentage of in-use televisions tuned to a given show.
NEW YORK (CNN.COM/AP) -- Left behind in the summer's reality TV boomlet, ABC can at least be comforted that football season is just around the corner. "Monday Night Football" is the network's only dependable "reality" hit, and test-run coverage of the Hall of Fame exhibition game between Houston and the New York Giants last Monday was ABC's most popular program of the week.
Its rivals all have reality shows that have caught on this summer, particularly NBC, whose "Dog Eat Dog," "Meet My Folks" and "Crime & Punishment" all hit Nielsen Media Research's top 20 last week.
Racing toward its conclusion, Fox's "American Idol" was the third most-watched program of the week. The third edition of CBS' "Big Brother" is also a moderate hit.
Shows that didn't click with viewers last week include ABC's news narrative from an Arkansas childrens hospital, "ICU"; NBC's "Rerun Show"; and Fox's newsmagazine "Pulse."
NBC narrowly won the week, averaging 7.9 million viewers in prime-time to CBS' 7.7 million (both 5.4 ratings, 10 shares). ABC averaged 6.3 million (4.2, 8), Fox had 5.6 million (3.5, 7), UPN had 2.6 million (1.7, 3), the WB had 1.7 million (1.6, 3) and Pax TV had 1.2 million (0.8, 2).
NBC's "Nightly News" won the evening news ratings race with 9 million viewers (6.4 rating, 14 share). ABC's "World News Tonight" had 8.1 million (5.9, 13) and the "CBS Evening News" had 7.5 million (5.2, 11).
A ratings point represents 1,055,000 households, or 1 percent of the nation's estimated 105.5 million TV homes. The share is the percentage of in-use televisions tuned to a given show.
