NBC TIES FOR #1 IN ADULTS 18-49 FOR THE PRIMETIME WEEK OF AUG. 7-13

BURBANK, Calif. � August 15, 2006 � NBC ranked #1 for the week in the key demographic of adults 18-49 (tied with CBS). NBC averaged a 2.2 rating, 7 share in adults 18-49 and 6.6 million viewers overall for the week of August 7-13 according to in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research.

NBC had four of the top 10 programs the week in adults 18-49 (out of a total 113 programs this week) - "America's Got Talent" (Wed.) was #4, the "NBC Sunday Night Football" telecast of the Redskins-Bengals pre-season game ranked #5, "Last Comic Standing" was #7 and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" was #8.

Primetime averages for the week of August 7-13 in adults 18-49 were NBC and CBS (2.2/7), Fox (2.1/7), ABC (1.8/6), Univision (1.4/4), UPN (0.8/2), WB (0.7/2) and Telemundo (0.4/1). Versus the same week last year, NBC was up 16 percent in 18-49, marking the fifth consecutive week NBC has topped its 18-49 rating of the year-ago week. In overall total viewers the weekly averages were CBS (7.3 million), NBC (6.6 million), ABC (5.5 million), Fox (5.5 million), Univision (3.2 million), UPN (2.0 million), WB (1.8 million) and Telemundo (0.8 million).

Since the end of the traditional broadcast season, NBC is running #2 (tied with CBS) in adults 18-49. The current summer-to-date averages in 18-49 are Fox (2.4), NBC and CBS (2.1) and ABC (1.8) for the period May 25-August 13, 2006.

Summer-to-date, "America's Got Talent" is the top-rated new summer series of 2006. The top-rated original summer series overall this year are Fox's Wednesday and Thursday editions of "So You Think You Can Dance" (a 3.9 and a 3.8 respectively in 18-49), NBC's "Last Comic Standing" and Fox's "Hell's Kitchen" (both at a 3.6 in 18-49) and NBC's "America's Got Talent" (a 3.5 in 18-49).

NBC highlights for the week of August 7-13:

* The "NBC Sunday Night Football" telecast of the Washington Redskins versus the Cincinnati Bengals was the top-rated and most-watched pre-season NFL telecast of the week, outperforming Fox's Thursday NFL primetime game by 52 percent in 18-49 and 56 percent in total viewers and outdelivering CBS' Friday primetime NFL game by 88 percent in 18-49 and 71 percent in overall viewers. NBC now has easily the two highest-rated NFL pre-season telecasts of the summer, last Sunday's Redskins-Bengals game and the previous Sunday's Raiders-Eagles match-up.

* Paced by "NBC Sunday Night Football," NBC won Sunday in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and other key measures. This marks NBC's fourth Sunday win in six weeks in 18-49.

* Also on Sunday, "Dateline NBC" won its hour in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and other key measures.

* On Tuesday, "Last Comic Standing" was the #1 show of the night on any network in adults 18-49. It swept its hour, winning in adults 18-34, adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and total viewers. "Last Comic," which ranked #7 out of a total 113 programs this week in adults 18-49, was up 63 percent in 18-49 versus NBC's average in the time period last summer.

* Also on Tuesday, an encore "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" won its hour in adults 18-49 and virtually all key ratings measures, topping the ABC-CBS competition combined in adults 18-34. "SVU" ranked #8 in adults 18-49 for the week.

* On Wednesday, the finale of "Last Comic Standing 4" won its 90-minute time period in 18-49, total viewers and other key measures.

* Also on Wednesday, "America's Got Talent," airing in a special 9:30-to-11 p.m. ET slot, hit its highest 18-49 rating since July 12. "America's Got Talent" was the #4 program of the week in adults 18-49 and the #5 show of the week in total viewers

* On Thursday, the "America's Got Talent" results show hit its highest numbers to-date in both adults 18-49 and total viewers.

Excluding sports, 18-49 averages for the 2005-06 broadcast year to date are Fox (a 3.6 rating), CBS (3.3), ABC (3.2), NBC (2.9), WB (1.2) and UPN (1.1). This summer, non-sports 18-49 averages are: Fox (a 2.3 rating), NBC (2.1), CBS (2.1), ABC (1.7), UPN (0.7) and WB (0.7).

Ratings reflect "live plus same day" data unless otherwise noted. Season-to-date figures are averages of live only results through Dec. 25 and "live plus seven day" data since then, except for the two most recent weeks, which are live plus same day.

Additional NBC highlights for the week of August 7-13:

On Monday, August 7 at 9 p.m. ET, "Treasure Hunters" averaged a 1.9 rating, 5 share in adults 18-49 and 5.0 million viewers overall, matching its highest 18-49 rating since July 10. "Treasure Hunters" built by 46 percent in 18-49 rating versus its lead-in from the previous hour � a 1.3/4 in 18-49 and 4.0 million viewers overall for from 8-9 p.m. for a special broadcast of the USA Network series "Psych" from 8-9 p.m. At 10 p.m., an encore "Medium" averaged a 1.7/5 in 18-49 and 5.3 million viewers overall.

On Tuesday, August 8 at 9 p.m. ET, "Last Comic Standing" (3.1/9 in 18-49, 7.7 million viewers overall) was the #1 telecast of the night in the key demographic of adults 18-49. "Last Comic" was #1 in its hour among adults 18-34, adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and total viewers. "Last Comic" increased 63 percent in adults 18-49 versus its lead-in � a 1.9/6 in 18-49 and 5.0 million viewers overall for "Fear Factor" from 8-9 p.m.

"Last Comic" was up 63 percent in adult 18-49 rating versus NBC's average in this time period last summer (3.1 vs. 1.9) and topped every NBC result in this time period for the summer of 2005.

Also on Tuesday from 10-11 p.m. ET, an encore telecast of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (3.0/8 in 18-49, 8.5 million viewers overall) was #1 for its time period in 18-49 and all other key ratings measures, topping the ABC-CBS competition combined among adults 18-34.

NBC was #1 on Tuesday night in adults 18-49 (tied with CBS) and #1 outright in overall total viewers.

On Wednesday, August 9 from 8-9:30 p.m. ET, the finale of "Last Comic Standing" (2.8/9 in 18-49, 7.7 million viewers overall) won its 90-minute time period in adults 18-49, total viewers and other key measures. From its first half-hour to its last, "Last Comic" grew by 52 percent in 18-49 rating (to a 3.5/10 from a 2.3/8) and by almost 2.0 million viewers.

Wednesday from 9:30-10 p.m. ET, "America's Got Talent" (3.2/9 in adults 18-49, 9.7 million viewers overall) hit its highest 18-49 rating since July 12, up 28 percent in 18-49 rating versus NBC's average in the time period last summer (3.2 vs. 2.5). "Talent" was #1 in the 10-11 p.m. hour in all key ratings measures.

On Thursday, August 10 at 8 p.m. ET, an encore "My Name is Earl" (1.9/6 in 18-49, 5.6 million viewers overall) ranked #2 (tied) in the time period among adults 18-49. At 8:30 p.m., an encore telecast of "The Office" (1.9/6 in 18-49 and 4.6 million viewers overall) delivered the show's highest 18-49 rating in five weeks (since July 6). "The Office" retained 100 percent of its 18-49 lead-in from "Earl."

Thursday from 9-10 p.m. ET, the "America's Got Talent" results show (2.7/8 in 18-49, 8.6 million viewers overall) hit its highest Thursday numbers to-date in both 18-49 and total viewers, ranking #2 in the hour in 18-49 and #1 in adults 18-34. "Talent" was up 17 percent in 18-49 versus the prior week and built on its 18-49 lead-in from "The Office" by 42 percent. At 10 p.m., "Windfall" averaged a 1.9/6 in 18-49 and 4.8 million viewers overall, up 13 percent in 18-49 versus the prior week.

On Friday, August 11 from 8-9 p.m. ET, "Dateline NBC" (1.5/6 in 18-49, 6.0 million viewers overall) was #1 for the hour in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and total viewers. At 9 p.m. ET, an encore "Las Vegas" averaged a 1.4/5 in 18-49, 4.6 million viewers overall and pulled into first place for the 9:30-10 p.m. half-hour in adults 18-49 (tie), adults 25-54 and total viewers. At 10 p.m., an encore "Law & Order" (1.7/6 in 18-49, 6.0 million viewers overall) matched its highest Friday rating of the summer to-date in 18-49.

On Saturday, August 12 from 8-10 p.m. ET, "Dateline NBC" (1.3/5 in 18-49, 5.5 million viewers overall) ranked #2 in 18-49 and #1 among women 18-49 and women 25-54. At 10 p.m., an encore "Crossing Jordan" averaged a 1.2/4 in 18-49 and 4.8 million viewers overall.

On Sunday, August 13 from 7-8 p.m. ET, "Dateline NBC" (2.0/7 in 18-49, 6.8 million viewers overall) ranked #1 in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and other key measures. The last two weeks, "Dateline" has delivered this summer's two highest non-sports ratings in this hour on any network in adults 18-49.

Also on Sunday, the "NBC Sunday Night Football" telecast of the Washington Redskins versus the Cincinnati Bengals (3.2/10 in 18-49, 8.7 million viewers overall, 5.8/10 in households from 8:08-11 p.m. ET) ranked #1 in the time period in adults 18-49, total viewers and other key measures.

The "NBC Sunday Night Football" game was the highest-rated and most-watched NFL pre-season game of the week. It outdelivered Fox's Thursday primetime game by 52 percent in 18-49 (with a 3.2 rating vs. a 2.1) and 56 percent in total viewers and CBS' Friday primetime NFL game by 88 percent in 18-49 (3.2 vs. 1.7) and 71 percent in overall viewers. NBC now has the two highest-rated NFL pre-season telecasts of the summer, last Sunday's Redskins-Bengals game and the August 6 Raiders-Eagles Hall of Fame Game.

From 8-8:08 p.m. ET Sunday, the "NBC Sunday Night Football" Pre-Kickoff telecast averaged a 2.5/9 in 18-49, 7.6 million viewers overall and a 5.0/10 in households.

NBC won Sunday night in adults 18-49. This marks NBC's fourth Sunday win in six weeks.