nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for wednesday, february 8, 2012)

Here are the highlights of the 16 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

FOX (13.85 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.5, #1) was Wednesday's top draw thanks to new episodes of "American Idol" (18.94 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 6.0, #1) and "Mobbed" (8.77 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.0, #T4).

ABC (8.45 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.1, #2) then took home the silver with fresh installments of "The Middle" (8.48 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.6, #7), "Suburgatory" (7.27 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T8), "Modern Family" (12.85 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 5.5, #2), "Happy Endings" (6.90 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 3.0, #T4) and "Revenge" (7.58 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T8).

Next up was CBS (10.36 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.4, #3) with the special "Person to Person" (6.02 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T13) followed by new episodes of "Criminal Minds" (13.61 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.4, #3) and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (11.44 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.7, #6).

Meanwhile, NBC (5.30 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.6, #4) offered up new episodes of "Whitney" (4.07 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T11), "Are You There, Chelsea?" (3.68 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T11), the relocated "Rock Center With Brian Williams" (5.28 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T13) and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (6.74 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.2, #10).

And finally, "One Tree Hill" (1.29 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.7, #15) and "Remodeled" (0.71 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.4, #16) on The CW (1.00 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #5) closed out the night. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Hill" delivered a 1.3 rating while "Remodeled" posted a 0.4 rating.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+37.50% - Rock Center With Brian Williams (vs. 1/30/12)
+33.33% - Remodeled
+22.22% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (vs. 1/18/12)
+10.00% - Modern Family (vs. 1/18/12)
+3.45% - Mobbed
+3.45% - Happy Endings (vs. 1/18/12)
+1.69% - American Idol
0.00% - The Middle (vs. 1/18/12)
0.00% - Revenge (vs. 1/18/12)
0.00% - Suburgatory (vs. 1/18/12)
0.00% - One Tree Hill
-5.56% - Criminal Minds (vs. 1/25/12)
-11.76% - Whitney
-11.76% - Are You There, Chelsea?
-18.18% - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (vs. 1/25/12)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+40.00% - One Tree Hill (vs. Nikita (Repeat))
+31.58% - Revenge (vs. Off the Map)
+25.00% - Mobbed (vs. Human Target)
+25.00% - Suburgatory (vs. Better With You)
+22.22% - Person to Person (vs. Live to Dance)
+17.39% - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (vs. Blue Bloods)
+15.38% - Whitney (vs. Minute to Win It)
+15.38% - Are You There, Chelsea? (vs. Minute to Win It)
+10.00% - Modern Family
0.00% - Remodeled (vs. The Vampire Diaries (Repeat))
0.00% - The Middle
-8.11% - Criminal Minds
-15.38% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
-18.92% - Happy Endings (vs. Mr. Sunshine)
-27.71% - American Idol
-52.17% - Rock Center With Brian Williams (vs. Minute to Win It)

In late-night metered market ratings (via NBC's press release):

In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 2.9/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.8/7; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.3/8; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.6/5.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.9/4; "Late Show," 0.8/4; "Nightline," 1.0/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.7/4.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.5/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.3/5). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.6/4 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.5/3).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.9/4 in metered-market households and a 0.3/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Here are the highlights of the 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (2/9/11):

FOX (15.99 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.3, #1) claimed the top spot on Wednesday with another new "American Idol" (23.67 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 8.3, #1) followed by the season finale of "Human Target" (8.30 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.4, #7).

ABC (8.40 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.8, #2) then took home the silver with its mix of "The Middle" (8.84 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.6, #T5), "Better With You" (6.78 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.0, #10), "Modern Family" (13.10 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 5.0, #2), the launch of "Mr. Sunshine" (10.57 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.7, #T3) and "Off the Map" (5.56 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.9, #11).

Next up was CBS (10.53 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.3, #3) with the "Live to Dance" (4.81 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.9, #13) finale followed by a new "Criminal Minds" (14.32 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.7, #T3) and "Blue Bloods" (12.45 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.3, #T8), which is back to Friday nights next week.

Meanwhile, NBC (6.74 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.1, #4) offered up its newly permanent lineup of "Minute to Win It #1" (4.78 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.3, #12), "Minute to Win It #2" (7.36 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.3, #T8) and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (8.09 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.6, #T5).

And finally, repeats of "Nikita" (1.57 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.5, #14) and "The Vampire Diaries" (0.99 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.4, #15) on The CW (1.28 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #5) rounded out the evening.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): Blue Bloods (43.80%), Criminal Minds (15.60% vs. 1/26/11), Modern Family (8.70% vs. 1/19/11), Off the Map (5.60%), The Middle (-3.70% vs. 1/19/11), American Idol (-6.70%), Human Target (-7.70%), Better With You (-9.10% vs. 1/19/11), Live to Dance (-10.00%), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (-10.30%), Minute to Win It #2 (-23.30%), Minute to Win It #1 (-23.50%).

In late-night metered market ratings (via NBC's press release):

In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 3.2/8; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 3.1/8; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.1/7; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.4/5.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 1.1/5; "Late Show," 0.8/4; "Nightline," 1.1/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.6/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.5/5). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.7/4 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.5/3).

At 1:35 a.m., Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 1.0/4 in metered-market households and a 0.4/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Source: Nielsen Media Research