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CBS Regains Its Ratings Lead From ABC

Posted on: Wednesday, 18 January 2006, 18:02 CST

By FRAZIER MOORE

NEW YORK - CBS regained its customary top spot in the ratings last week after relinquishing the crown to ABC the week before.

For the 16th time in 17 weeks, CBS was the most-watched network in prime time, according to Nielsen Media Research. Claiming half of the week's Top 10 entries, CBS had the top-ranked show: the AFC divisional playoff game between New England and Denver.

ABC, with such powerhouses as "Desperate Housewives" (the week's No. 2 show), "Lost" (No. 3), "Grey's Anatomy" (5th) and "Dancing with the Stars" (7th), was the second-place network for the week.

But Fox could smile, too: Even without this week's much-awaited return of its "American Idol" juggernaut, Fox was boosted by such fare as "House" and Sunday's two-hour kickoff of "24," which helped lift that network to third place.

NBC came in fourth.

For the week, CBS averaged 14.9 million viewers (9.5 rating, 15 share), while ABC had 11.7 million viewers (7.5 rating, 12 share), Fox had 10.3 million (6.4 rating, 10 share), and NBC had 9.2 million (6.0 rating, 9 share). Univision had 4.3 million (2.1 rating, 3 share), the WB had 3.5 million (2.3 rating, 4 share), UPN had 2.9 million (2.0 rating, 3 share), and Pax TV had 500,000 (0.4 rating, 1 share).

NBC's "Nightly News" dominated the evening news ratings during the first full week with ABC co-anchors Elizabeth Vargas and Bob Woodruff. NBC averaged 10.0 million viewers (6.9 rating, 13 share), ABC's "World News Tonight" had 8.9 million (6.2 rating, 11 share), and the "CBS Evening News" had 8.0 million (5.7 rating, 11 share).

A ratings point represents 1,102,000 households, or 1 percent of the nation's estimated 110.2 million TV homes. The share is the percentage of in-use televisions tuned to a given show.

For the week of Jan. 9-15, the top 10 shows, their networks and viewerships: AFC Divisional Playoff: New England at Denver, CBS, 26.3 million; "Desperate Housewives," ABC, 22.5 million; "Lost," ABC, 20.6 million; "CSI: Miami," CBS, 20.1 million; "Grey's Anatomy," ABC, 19.0 million; "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," CBS, 17.8 million; "Dancing With the Stars," ABC, 17.4 million; "Two and a Half Men," CBS, 17.2 million; "NCIS," CBS, 17.2 million; "24" Preview Special (8 p.m.), Fox, 17.0 million.

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On the Net:

http://www.nielsenmedia.com

Source: Associated Press/AP Online

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