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[04/19/12 - 08:55 AM]
Wednesday's Broadcast Ratings: "American Idol" Tops Another Night of Lows
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for wednesday, april 18, 2012)

Here are the highlights of the 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

FOX (16.47 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.7, #1) was still the network to beat on Wednesday with another two-hour "American Idol" (16.47 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.7, #1).

ABC (7.04 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.4, #2) then claimed a distant second place with a repeat of "The Middle" (4.66 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.3, #11) followed by new episodes of "Suburgatory" (5.76 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.0, #6) - a series low, "Modern Family" (10.07 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 4.0, #2) - a season low, "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23" (6.59 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.6, #4) and the return of "Revenge" (7.58 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.3, #5) - its series low (excluding Thanksgiving episode).

Next up was CBS (7.87 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.0, #3) with a new "Survivor: One World" (9.38 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.7, #3) - tied as a series low, excluding specials - plus repeats of "Criminal Minds" (7.49 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T7) and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (6.74 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T9).

Meanwhile, NBC (4.42 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.2, #4) continued its struggles with its original mix of "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" (6.21 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T7), "Best Friends Forever" (3.15 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.9, #12), "Rock Center With Brian Williams" (2.87 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.7, #13) and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (5.72 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T9) - a series low.

And finally, a repeat of "America's Next Top Model" (1.14 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.4, #15) and a new "America's Next Top Model" (1.35 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.6, #14) over on The CW (1.25 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #5) closed out the evening. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Top Model" delivered a 0.5 rating at 8:00/7:00c and a 0.9 rating at 9:00/8:00c.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+20.00% - America's Next Top Model
+16.67% - Rock Center With Brian Williams
+6.25% - Betty White's Off Their Rockers
+3.85% - Survivor: One World
0.00% - Best Friends Forever
-2.44% - Modern Family
-4.08% - American Idol
-4.17% - Revenge (vs. 2/29/12)
-4.76% - Suburgatory
-6.25% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
-10.34% - Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+112.50% - Betty White's Off Their Rockers (vs. Minute to Win It)
+35.29% - Revenge (vs. Happy Endings (10:00)/Happy Endings (10:30))
+25.00% - Suburgatory (vs. Better With You)
+12.50% - Best Friends Forever (vs. Minute to Win It)
+8.33% - Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 (vs. Cougar Town)
+8.11% - Modern Family
+7.14% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (vs. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Repeat))
-10.00% - Survivor: One World
-12.50% - Rock Center With Brian Williams (vs. Minute to Win It (Repeat))
-14.29% - America's Next Top Model
-17.98% - American Idol (vs. American Idol 10/Breaking In)

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," 2.5/7 with an encore telecast; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 1.9/5 with an encore; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.3/8; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.7/5.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.7/3 with an encore; "Late Show," 0.5/2 with an encore; "Nightline," 1.2/5; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.7/4.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.3/5 in metered-market household with an encore) beat CBS's first-run "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.0/3). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.4/3 in 18-49 with an encore) topped "Late Late Show" (0.3/2).

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


Here are the highlights of the 16 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (4/20/11):

FOX (18.23 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.8, #1) took last night by wide margins thanks to new episodes of "American Idol" (21.79 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 6.8, #1) and "Breaking In" (7.55 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.5, #4).

ABC (6.10 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T2) and CBS (8.82 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T2) then split the silver as the latter offered up a new "Survivor: Redemption Island" (10.50 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.0, #3) - its lowest-rated regular telecast ever - followed by repeats of "Criminal Minds" (8.76 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.9, #6) and "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior" (7.19 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.7, #9).

The Alphabet then served up its mix of "The Middle" (6.79 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T7) - tied as its season low, "Better With You" (5.25 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T10), "Modern Family" (9.83 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.7, #2) - season low for a regular telecast, "Cougar Town" (6.27 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.4, #5), "Happy Endings" (4.65 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T7) and another "Happy Endings" (3.84 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T10).

Next up was NBC (3.66 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.0, #4) with a new "Minute to Win It" (3.14 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T13) - its series low - and repeats of "Minute to Win It" (3.00 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T13) and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (4.83 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.4, #12).

And finally, repeat of "America's Next Top Model" (1.19 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.6, #16) led into a relocated "America's Next Top Model" (1.58 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.7, #15) on The CW (1.38 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.6, #5).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): Better With You (6.70%), Cougar Town (4.30% vs. 4/18/11), Survivor: Redemption Island (3.40%), The Middle (0.00%), Modern Family (-2.60%), American Idol (-4.20%), Breaking In (-10.70%), Minute to Win It (-20.00%), America's Next Top Model (-30.00%), Happy Endings #2 (-30.40%), Happy Endings #1 (-33.30%).

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," 2.6/6 with an encore telecast; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.2/5 with an encore; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.0/7; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.5/4.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.8/4 with an encore; "Late Show," 0.6/3 with an encore; "Nightline," 0.9/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.3/4 in metered-market households with an encore) beat CBS's first-run "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.2/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.6/3 in 18-49 with an encore) topped "Late Late Show" (0.4/3).

At 1:35 a.m., Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.9/4 with an encore 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





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