Academy of Country Music Awards Leads CBS to Victory

THE PROGRAMMING INSIDERMonday, April 4, 2011 Prime-Time Sunday Ratings:The Academy of Country Music Awards Lead CBS to Victory Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest TV Trivia Time:I’m Late! _______________________________________________________________________ Prime-Time Sunday Ratings:The Academy of Country Music Awards Lead CBS to Victory Sunday 4/03/11 HH Rtg/Shr CBS 7.4/12ABC 5.1/ 8NBC 4.1/ 7Fox 2.4/ 4 -Total Viewers:CBS: 12.29 million, ABC: 8.39, NBC: 6.52, Fox: 4.06 -Adults 18-49:CBS: 2.9 rating/8 share, ABC: 2.2/ 6, NBC: 2.1/ 6, Fox: 1.8/ 5 ---------- -Yesterday’s Winners: The 46th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards (CBS), Celebrity Apprentice (NBC) -Honorable Mention:Secret Millionaire (ABC) -Fading Fast:Desperate Housewives (ABC) -Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):Dateline (NBC), American Dad (Fox), America’s Next Great Restaurant (NBC) ---------- Note: The fast affiliate results for Monday will be posted at PIFeedback by 12 p.m. ET. Go to the website, click on Ratings Box (the first category), then Last Night’s Results, and Monday, April 4, 2011. ________ -Ratings Breakdown: It was an easy Sunday night victory for CBS, with a first-place finish in households, total viewers and adults 18-49 thanks to its combination of granddaddy 60 Minutes (Viewers: #1, 10.29 million; A18-49: #2, 1.5 rating/5 share at 7 p.m.) and The 46th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards (Viewers: #1, 12.96 million; A18-49: #1, 3.3 rating/9 share from 8-11 p.m.). Compared to last year’s event (on April 18, 2011), The Academy of Country Music Awards increased by 19 percent in adults 18-34 (from a 2.1/ 6) and three percent in adults 18-49 (from a 3.2/ 8), which a similar performance elsewhere. Note: These results are based on the preliminary live plus same day ratings. ABC, which finished second, looks like it could be headed into some choppy Sunday night waters next season. Once a top 10 staple, fading Desperate Housewives dipped to a season-low (and potentially series low) 8.83 million viewers (#2) and a 2.8/ 7 among adults 18-49 (#2t) at 9 p.m. Once upon a time Desperate Housewives was an arena for 20-million viewers. Comparably, that dipped by 870,000 viewers from lead-in Secret Millionaire, while building slightly among adults 18-49 (Secret Millionaire – Viewers: #2, 9.70 million; A18-49: #2, 2.6/ 7 at 8 p.m.). If ABC had some dignity, it would let Desperate Housewives exit while it still has some audience left. Who knows what will happen by next season. Earlier in the evening on ABC was veteran America’s Funniest Home Videos at 6.60 million viewers (#2) and a dominant 1.6/ 5 among adults 18-49 at 7 p.m. At 10 p.m., a Sunday edition of just launched Body of Proof (which is regularly scheduled in the Tuesday 10 p.m. hour) averaged 8.44 million viewers (#3) and a 2.0/ 5 in the demo (#3). Last Tuesday, Body of Proof out of the live Dancing with the Stars Results Show opened with a considerably larger 13.94 million viewers and a 3.1/ 8 in the demo on March 29. As I always say, the lead-in still matters. NBC’s one bright spot on Sunday remains must see Celebrity Apprentice, which was on the map with a season-high 8.49 million viewers and a 3.1/ 8 among adults 18-49 from 9-11 p.m., building by half-hour as follows: Celebrity Apprentice (NBC) 9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 7.25 million (#3), A18-49: 2.6/ 6 (#3) 9:30 p.m. – Viewers: 8.31 million (#3), A18-49: 2.9/ 7 (#2)10:00 p.m. – Viewers: 8.93 million (#2), A18-49: 3.3/ 8 (#2)10:30 p.m. – Viewers: 9.46 million (#2), A18-49: 3.4/ 9 (#1) Comparably, Celebrity Apprentice built out of modest lead-in America’s Next Great Restaurant (Viewers: #4, 3.92 million; A19-49: #4, 1.4/ 4 at 8 p.m.) by a hefty 4.57 million viewers and 111 percent among adults 18-49. Needless to say, this is a “winning” performance. As for Meatloaf, all I can personally say…quoting Blossom’s brother Joey…”Whoa!!!” Earlier in the evening on NBC was sluggish Dateline at 5.17 million viewers and a last-place 1.0/ 3 in the demo at 7 p.m. Last place Fox capped off this first Sunday in April as follows: Sunday/Fox7:00 p.m. The Simpsons (R)Viewers: 2.77 million (#4), A18-49: 1.1/ 4 (#3) 7:30 p.m. American DadViewers: 3.58 million (#4), A18-49: 1.6/ 5 (#2t) 8:00 p.m. The Simpsons (R)Viewers: 4.53 million (#3), A18-49: 1.9/ 6 (#3) 8:30 p.m. Bob’s Burgers (R)Viewers: 3.82 million (#4), A18-49: 1.7/ 5 (#3) 9:00 p.m. Family Guy (R)Viewers: 4.86 million (#4), A18-49: 2.2/ 6 (#4) 9:30 p.m. The Cleveland Show Viewers: 4.82 million (#4), A18-49: 2.2/ 5 (#3) And there you have it…that was Sunday. Source: Nielsen Media Research data____________________________________________________________________________ Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not -Strong Debut for The Borgias on Showtime:The two-hour debut of Showtime drama The Borgias opened with 1.06 million viewers in the Sunday 9-11 p.m. block on April 3, which was a 22 percent increase from the premiere of The Tudors. Shameless on Jan. 9 kicked-off with 982,000 total viewers. Comparably, this is the strongest opening performance for any new drama on Showtime in seven years (since 1.11 million for Dead Like Me). Combined with an encore telecast at 11 p.m. (432,000), Showtime is reporting 1.49 million viewers for The Borgias opener on Sunday. -CBS Dominates Saturday:Yes, Saturday night is normally a veritable death trap for the broadcast networks. But when there is something worth watching the audience will respond. On that note, NCAA Basketball, the Men’s Final Four, averaged 14.96 million viewers and a 4.7 rating/15 share among adults 18-49 on April 2, beating the three competing networks combined as follows: Total Viewers:CBS: 14.96 million, NBC: 4.48, Fox: 4.38, ABC: 3.91 Adults 18-49: CBS: 4.7 rating/15 share, Fox: 1.3/ 4, ABC: 1.2/ 4, NBC: 0.7/ 2 The Competition:ABC: Movie: Transformers (R)NBC: Harry’s Law (R), Law & Order: Los Angeles (R), Law & Order: SVU (R)Fox: Cops (R), America’s Most Wanted Source: Nielsen Media Research data____________________________________________________________________________ On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options Monday 4/04/11 ABC: 8:00 p.m. Dancing with the Stars (R)10:00 p.m. Castle CBS:8:00 p.m. The Big Bang Theory (R)8:30 p.m. Rules of Engagement (R)9:00 p.m. NCAA Basketball Championship: From Houston (to 11:30 p.m.)NBC:8:00 pm Chuck (R)9:00 pm The Event10:00 pm Harry's Law (season finale)Fox:8:00 p.m. House (R)9:00 p.m. The Chicago Code (R)The CW:8:00 p.m. 90210 (R)9:00 p.m. Gossip Girl (R) _______________________________________________________________________________________ TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest -Kate Couric Expected to Leave The CBS Evening News:This has been talked about for over one year, but it looks like CBS Evening News host Katie Couric will not be renewing her contract with the network newscast after it expires on June 4. Couric is in talks to host her own syndicated daytime talk show, with a targeted fall 2012 launch. There is no news at present who CBS will replace Couric with. -Introducing Bounce TV:Bounce TV, a new digital network designed for carriage on the digital signals of local television stations, will target African Americans between the ages of 25-54. Launching next fall, the programming mix will include movies, live sporting events, documentaries, off-net series, specials and original programming. The upcoming network has already acquired the television rights to almost 400 African American-targeted motion pictures including license deals with NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution, Sony Pictures Television, Codeblack Entertainment and Image Entertainment. The founding group is led by Ambassador Andrew Young, Martin Luther King III and Andrew “Bo” Young III. -Updated Clearances for Me-TV:Me-TV (a.k.a. Memorable Entertainment Television), the new digital classic television network from Weigel Broadcasting Co. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., has surpassed the 45 percent clearance mark. The 14 represented station groups include Bahakel Communications, Bonten Media Group, Capitol Broadcasting, Cox Television, Gray Television, Hearst Television, Media General, MPS Media, Newport Television, New Age Media, Quincy Newspapers, Raycom Media and Titan Broadcast Management. Programming on Me-TV includes classics like I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, Perry Mason, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Star Trek, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, MASH and Cheers. -Just a Suggestion:As long as Me-TV is programming the classics, how about Petticoat Junction, which has not been repeated in decades. To whet your appetite: Come ride the little train that is rolling down the tracks to the junction. (Petticoat Junction) Forget about your cares, it is time to relax at the junction. (Petticoat Junction) Lotsa curves, you bet. Even more when you get To the junction, Petticoat Junction. There's a little hotel called the Shady Rest at the junction. (Petticoat Junction) It is run by Kate, come and be her guest at the junction. (Petticoat Junction) And that's Uncle Joe, he's a movin' kind of slow at the junction, Petticoat Junction.Toot! Toot! ______________________________________________________________________ TV Trivia Time:I’m Late! Which TV character used to drive her small screen hubby crazy by always being late? a) Roseanne Connerb) Maude Findlayc) Mary Hartmand) Lucy Ricardoe) Maggie Seaver The answer to Friday’s question… Which one of the following statements about television is not true? a) The Academy Awards ceremony was televised for the first time in 1953.b) The Avengers was the first British TV series to be broadcast in prime time by an American network.c) Farrah Fawcett appeared in only the first season episodes of Charlie’s Angels. d) The Flintstones was the first animated series in prime time.e) The first Super Bowl was telecast in 1967. Is: c) Farrah Fawcett appeared in only the first season episodes of Charlie’s Angels. Farrah did exit Charlie’s Angeles prematurely after just one season, but returned for six guest appearances – three episodes in season three and three episodes in season four. Note: The list of kudos recipients will be back tomorrow.

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Academy of Country Music Awards Leads CBS to Victory

Marc Berman

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