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THE NIELSENS
`Millionaire' puts ABC in the money
ASSOCIATED PRESS
02-Dec-1999 Thursday
ABC declared its first victory in a ratings sweeps month in five years, a
lucrative win made possible largely because of "Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire."
Sweeps ended yesterday, but ABC had a commanding lead through Sunday night.
It has averaged 15.3 million viewers in prime-time this month, Nielsen
Media Research said. NBC (13.5 million viewers) and CBS (13.3 million) are
battling for second.
Giddy ABC executives even ignored a minor earthquake that shook their Los
Angeles offices Tuesday as they conducted a conference call with reporters.
"We're having an earthquake," said Stu Bloomberg, co-chairman of ABC
Entertainment. "We don't care. We won sweeps!"
The special 18-night run of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" averaged
24.2
million viewers. Its last night, Nov. 24, was the most popular edition of
the quiz show yet.
Broadcast networks concentrate their high-profile programming during sweeps
months because the ratings are used to set local advertising rates.
Rivals praised ABC -- faintly -- for its achievement.
"We do want to congratulate them on their victory," said CBS President
Leslie Moonves. "It is well earned. However, without one show in there, it
would be quite a different story."
CBS earned a narrow Nielsens victory over ABC for the one-week period that
ended Sunday, largely due to the success of the made-for-TV movie "One
Special Night."
For the week, CBS had a 9.6 household rating and 16 share, followed by ABC
(9.5 rating and 16 share), NBC (9.0 and 15) and Fox (6.2 and 10). Among the
other networks, The WB had a 2.5 rating and 4 share, followed by UPN (2.3
and 4) and Pax TV (0.7 and 1).
NBC's "Nightly News" won the evening news ratings race with an 8.1
rating
and 16 share, followed by ABC's "World News Tonight" (7.9 rating and
16
share) and the "CBS Evening News" (7.1 and 14).
A rating point represents 1,008,000 households, or 1 percent of the
nation's estimated 100.8 million TV homes. The share is the percentage of
in-use televisions tuned to a given show.
Here are the prime-time ratings as compiled by Nielsen Media Research for
Nov. 22-28:
1. "ER," NBC.
1. "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," ABC.
3. "CBS Sunday Movie: One Special Night."
4. "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," ABC.
5. "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," ABC.
6. "NFL Monday Showcase," ABC.
7. "60 Minutes," CBS.
7. "NFL Monday Night Football: Oakland at Denver," ABC.
9. "Frasier," NBC.
9. "Touched by an Angel," CBS.
11. "Everybody Loves Raymond," CBS.
12. "Dharma & Greg," ABC.
13. "Will & Grace," NBC.
14. "Law&Order," NBC.
15. "Friends," NBC.
15. "Providence," NBC.
17. "Becker," CBS.
18. "NBC Sunday Night Movie: Men in Black."
19. "Drew Carey Show," ABC.
19. "Family Law," CBS.
21. "Judging Amy," CBS.
21. "Wonderful World of Disney: The Santa Clause," ABC.
23. "Ally McBeal," Fox.
24. "Shania Twain: Come On Over," CBS.
24. "Spin City," ABC.
26. "JAG," CBS.
27. "The Practice," ABC.
28. "Just Shoot Me," NBC.
29. "Dateline NBC" (Tuesday).
30. "X-Files," Fox.
31. "Walker, Texas Ranger," CBS.
32. "60 Minutes II," CBS.
32. "Simpsons," Fox.
34. "Dateline NBC" (Monday).
35. "Celine Dion: All the Way," CBS.
35. "Dateline NBC" (Friday).
35. "Will&Grace," NBC.
38. "Sears Family Theater: Forrest Gump," ABC.
39. "King of Queens," CBS.
39. "NBC Movie of the Week: Home Alone."
41. "West Wing," NBC.
42. "CBS Wednesday Movie: Two Babies: Switched at Birth."
42. "Futurama," Fox.
44. "Nash Bridges," CBS.
44. "Once and Again." ABC.
46. "World's Most Amazing Video," NBC.
47. "Ladies Man," CBS.
47. "Law&Order: SVU," NBC.
47. "Ricky Martin: One Night Only," CBS.
47. "Third Watch," NBC.
51. "20/20" (Wednesday), ABC.
51. "ABC Big Picture Show: Jingle All the Way."
51. "CBS Thursday Movie: Secret of Giving."
54. "Ice Wars: USA vs. World," CBS.
55. "Dateline NBC" (Sunday).
56. "20/20" (Friday), ABC.
56. "Greed 2," Fox.
56. "Norm," ABC.
59. "Just Shoot Me," NBC.
60. "Greed," Fox.
60. "Just Shoot Me," NBC.
62. "3rd Rock From the Sun," NBC.
62. "Snoops," ABC.
64. "COPS 2: Arizona," Fox.
65. "Fox Movie: Scream."
65. "Fox Movie: Jumanji."
67. "America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back," Fox.
67. "Friends," NBC.
69. "King of the Hill," Fox.
70. "COPS: Fort Worth," Fox.
71. "Fox Movie: Home Alone 2: Lost In New York."
71. "Now and Again," CBS.
73. "World's Sexiest Commercials," Fox.
74. "Dateline NBC" (Wednesday).
75. "King of the Hill," Fox.
76. "7th Heaven," WB.
77. "Angel," WB.
77. "Veronica's Closet," NBC.
79. "ABC College Football: Notre Dame at Stanford."
80. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," WB.
81. "WWF Smackdown!," UPN.
82. "Star Trek: Voyager," UPN.
82. "Time of Your Life," Fox.
84. "Dawson's Creek," WB.
84. "King of the Hill," Fox.
86. "7th Heaven," WB.
86. "The Parkers," UPN.
88. "Roswell," WB.
89. "Moesha," UPN.
90. "Grown Ups," UPN.
91. "Malcolm & Eddie," UPN.
92. "Steve Harvey," WB.
93. "7 Days," UPN.
93. "Charmed," WB.
93. "For Your Love," WB.
96. "Jamie Foxx," WB.
96. "Safe Harbor," WB.
98. "Felicity," WB.
98. "Jamie Foxx" WB.
100. "Shasta McNasty," UPN.
101. "Blockbuster Cinema: Airtight," UPN.
101. "The Strip," UPN.
103. "Charmed," WB.
104. "Diagnosis Murder," PAX.
104. "Dilbert," UPN.
106. "Diagnosis Murder," PAX.
107. "Diagnosis Murder," PAX.
107. "Diagnosis Murder," PAX.
107. "Touched by an Angel," PAX.
110. "Diagnosis Murder," PAX.
110. "Touched by an Angel," PAX.
112. "Touched by an Angel," PAX.
112. "Touched by an Angel," PAX.
114. "It's a Miracle," PAX.
114. "Touched by an Angel," PAX.
116. "Touched by an Angel," PAX.
117. "Bible's Greatest Secrets Revealed," PAX.
117. "Chicken Soup for the Soul," PAX.
117. "Destination Stardom," PAX.
117. "Touched by an Angel," PAX.
117. "Twice in a Lifetime," PAX.
122. "Hope Island," PAX.
122. "True Story-Touched by an Angel," PAX.
124. "Hope Island," PAX.
124. "Twice in a Lifetime," PAX.
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