nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for wednesday, november 14, 2012)

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

FOX (8.09 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.9, #1) reclaimed the top spot on Wednesday with new episodes of "The X Factor" (8.01 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.9, #4) and a second "The X Factor" (8.16 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 3.0, #T2).

CBS (10.97 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.7, #2) then snagged a competitive second place with its mix of "Survivor: Philippines" (9.98 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.6, #5), "Criminal Minds" (12.13 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.0, #T2) and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (10.81 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T7).

ABC (7.73 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.5, #3) likewise was in the hunt with new episodes of "The Middle" (8.74 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.5, #6), "The Neighbors" (6.74 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.9, #9), "Modern Family" (11.90 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 4.6, #1), "Suburgatory" (7.22 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T7) and "Nashville" (5.89 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.8, #10).

Meanwhile, NBC (5.16 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.5, #4) offered up the return of "Whitney" (4.23 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.4, #13) alongside new episodes of "Guys With Kids" (3.82 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.3, #14), "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (5.73 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T11) and "Chicago Fire" (5.72 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T11).

And finally, originals from "Arrow" (3.80 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.2, #15) and "Supernatural" (2.30 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 1.0, #16) on The CW (3.05 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.1, #5) closed out the night. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Arrow" delivered a 1.1 rating at 8:00/7:00c and "Supernatural" a 1.0 rating at 9:00/8:00c.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+16.00% - The X Factor - 8:00
+11.11% - The X Factor - 9:00
+4.35% - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
0.00% - Criminal Minds
0.00% - Supernatural
-2.13% - Modern Family
-3.70% - Survivor: Philippines
-5.88% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (vs. 10/31/12)
-7.14% - Guys With Kids (vs. 10/31/12)
-7.69% - Arrow
-9.52% - The Neighbors
-10.00% - Nashville
-10.71% - The Middle
-17.24% - Suburgatory
-30.43% - Chicago Fire

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+200.00% - Arrow (vs. America's Next Top Model (Repeat))
+45.45% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (vs. Harry's Law)
+25.00% - Supernatural (vs. America's Next Top Model)
-7.14% - Guys With Kids (vs. Up All Night (Repeat))
-7.69% - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
-13.79% - The Middle
-15.79% - Chicago Fire (vs. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)
-16.36% - Modern Family
-18.92% - Criminal Minds
-19.44% - The X Factor - 8:00
-21.21% - Survivor: Philippines
-25.00% - Suburgatory (vs. Happy Endings)
-26.32% - Whitney (vs. Up All Night)
-26.83% - The X Factor
-30.77% - Nashville (vs. Revenge)
-32.14% - The Neighbors (vs. Suburgatory)

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," 2.7/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.6/7; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 2.9/7; 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," 0.6/3; "Nightline," 0.8/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/3.

* At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.4/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.3/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.6/4 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.3/2).

* At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.8/4 in metered-market households and a 0.4/3 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 (11/16/11):

FOX (11.18 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.8, #1) was the network to beat on Wednesday with a new "The X Factor" (10.89 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.6, #4) followed by a second hour of "The X Factor" (11.47 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 4.1, #2).

ABC (8.86 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.3, #2) then took home the silver with its mix of "The Middle" (9.14 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.9, #7), "Suburgatory" (8.13 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.8, #8), "Modern Family" (12.88 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.5, #1), "Happy Endings" (7.11 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 3.2, #6) and "Revenge" (7.95 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.6, #T9).

Next up was CBS (11.52 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.2, #3) with fresh installments of "Survivor: South Pacific" (11.52 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.3, #5), "Criminal Minds" (12.54 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.7, #3) and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (10.51 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.6, #T9).

Meanwhile, NBC (6.25 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.5, #4) offered up a new "Up All Night" (4.82 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T11), a repeat of "Up All Night" (3.86 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.4, #13) and new episodes of "Harry's Law" (7.15 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.1, #14) and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (7.26 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T11).

And finally, a repeat of "America's Next Top Model" (1.19 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.4, #16) led into a new "America's Next Top Model" (1.86 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.8, #15) on The CW (1.52 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.6, #5). In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Top Model" posted a 0.7 rating at 8:00/7:00c and a 1.2 rating at 9:00/8:00c.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+8.82% - Criminal Minds
+6.45% - Survivor: South Pacific
+5.56% - Up All Night
+4.00% - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
+2.50% - The X Factor - 9:00
0.00% - The X Factor - 8:00
0.00% - The Middle (vs. 11/2/11)
0.00% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
0.00% - America's Next Top Model
-1.79% - Modern Family (vs. 11/2/11)
-8.57% - Happy Endings (vs. 11/2/11)
-9.68% - Suburgatory (vs. 11/2/11)
-13.33% - Revenge (vs. 11/2/11)
-15.38% - Harry's Law

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+100.00% - The X Factor - 8:00 (vs. Human Target)
+73.33% - Revenge (vs. 25 Years of Sexy: People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive!)
+57.69% - The X Factor - 9:00 (vs. Hell's Kitchen)
+36.84% - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (vs. The Defenders)
+21.74% - Suburgatory (vs. Better With You)
+18.75% - Up All Night (vs. Dateline NBC)
+17.02% - Modern Family
+6.67% - Happy Endings (vs. Cougar Town)
+3.57% - The Middle
0.00% - Criminal Minds
0.00% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (vs. Law & Order: Los Angeles)
-5.71% - Survivor: South Pacific
-11.11% - America's Next Top Model (vs. Hellcats)
-47.62% - Harry's Law (vs. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)

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," 3.3/9; 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," 0.9/4; "Nightline," 1.2/5; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/4.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.7/6 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 1.1/5 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.4/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Source: Nielsen Media Research