Fox and CBS dominated in prime time last week

[March 08, 2012]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Fox was the champ in prime-time ratings last week, with CBS close behind, as the two networks seized almost exclusive control of the Top 30 roster.

Fox was supercharged with three editions of "American Idol" (which took the first, third and fourth slots for the week), along with its Daytona 500 NASCAR coverage.

CBS, as usual, was powered by its slate of dramas, sitcoms and reality shows, claiming 21 of the Top 30 rankings (including "NCIS," which placed second for the week overall).

ABC landed "Modern Family," "Once Upon a Time" and "Castle" in the Top 30, while NBC's only entry was "The Voice," in sixth place, the Nielsen Co. said Tuesday.

For the week in prime time, Fox averaged 10.45 million viewers (6.1 household rating, 10 share), followed closely by CBS with 10.23 million (6.5 rating, 11 share). Far behind was ABC with 6.39 million (4.1 rating, 7 share) and NBC with 5.71 million (3.6 rating, 6 share). ION Television averaged 1.17 million and the CW had 1.11 million (both with 0.8 rating, 1 share).

Among the Spanish-language networks, Univision led with a 3.74 million viewer average (1.9 rating, 3 share), Telemundo had 1.21 million (0.7 rating, 1 share), Telefutura had 690,000 (0.4 rating, 1 share), Estrella had 210,000 and Azteca 120,000 (both 0.1 rating, 0 share).

NBC's "Nightly News" topped the evening newscasts with an average of 9.7 million viewers (6.3 household rating, 12share). ABC's "World News" was second with 8.0 million (5.4 rating, 10 share), while the "CBS Evening News" had 6.8 million viewers (4.6 rating, 9 share).

A ratings point represents 1,147,000 households, or 1 percent of the nation's estimated 114.7 million TV homes. The share is the percentage of in-use televisions tuned to a given show.

For the week of Feb. 27-March 4, the top 10 shows, their networks and viewerships: "American Idol" (Thursday), Fox, 18.45 million; "NCIS," CBS, 18.20 million; "American Idol" (Wednesday), Fox, 17.23 million; "American Idol" (Special -- Tuesday), Fox, 16.11 million; "NCIS: Los Angeles," CBS, 15.85 million; "The Voice," NBC, 14.89 million; NASCAR Daytona 500, Fox, 13.67 million; "Criminal Minds," CBS, 12.54 million; NASCAR Daytona 500 (continuing), Fox, 12.47 million; "Two and a Half Men," CBS, 11.92 million.

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ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co. CBS is owned by CBS Corp. CW is a joint venture of Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corp. Fox and My Network TV are units of News Corp. NBC and Telemundo are owned by Comcast Corp. ION Television is owned by ION Media Networks. TeleFutura is a division of Univision. Azteca America is a wholly owned subsidiary of TV Azteca S.A. de C.V.

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Online:

http://www.nielsen.com/

[Associated Press; By FRAZIER MOORE]

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