Posted on 11/16/2006 6:38:45 AM PST by abb
So much for the tumble many foresaw
By Toni Fitzgerald Nov 16, 2006
When "Today" co-host Katie Couric announced she was leaving NBC’s long-dominant morning show for the CBS "Evening News," it seemed a big shakeup in morning show ratings could follow.
Couric had been there for more than a decade, and it seemed doubtful the show could remain so dominant without her, especially with ABC's "Good Morning America" long gaining and a former "Today" executive producer joining CBS's "Early Show."
But nearly six months after Couric left, not only is “Today” still the dominant morning news program, it’s actually gaining over this time last year, and it’s the only morning program to do so.
For the week ended Nov. 5, “Today” averaged 6.2 million total viewers, its best performance in nearly two months. That was 200,000 better than the show did on the same week last year, and 1 million ahead of “GMA.” Last year the gap between the two was 700,000.
Over the last eight weeks, “Today” is averaging 5.83 million total viewers, up 3 percent over last year’s 5.67 million. That’s not a big improvement, but it’s a big accomplishment for a show that lost a co-host many consider the most popular in morning show history.
So why is “Today” gaining? There are several reasons, one of which is that Meredith Vieira, Couric’s replacement, has made a seamless transition. She and co-host Matt Lauer are establishing a friendly if sometimes overly gooey rapport, a marked difference from the tense atmosphere in Couric’s final months.
Too, Vieira is herself extremely popular. She gained a following as the most moderate and relatable co-host on ABC’s “The View,” her pre-“Today” gig. And ratings for her syndicated game show, “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” are up double-digit percentages this year, which many attribute to her new “Today” following.
Meanwhile, Couric's popularity had been on the decline, as noted by her Q score, the Market Evaluations number used to track celebrity popularity. Hers had declined by almost half over the past few years.
“Today” has also been helped by a few recent high-profile interviews, including Vieira’s chat with Madonna, which aired Nov. 1 and 2, focusing on the star’s controversial adoption of a Malawi boy.
Yet another thing that may be helping “Today’s” ratings is NBC’s improved primetime performance. Last year at this time the network was an entire rating point below where it sits now among adults 18-49. Just as “GMA” saw gains when ABC’s primetime numbers jumped two years ago, NBC may now be seeing the same.
Finally, it’s entirely possible that, instead of “GMA” and “Early Show” stealing “Today’s” viewers, as many expected, the opposite is happening. “GMA” and “Early Show” are both down compared with last season.
“GMA” has averaged 4.88 million total viewers over the last eight weeks, down 6 percent from last year’s 5.21 million. And “Early Show” has dipped 4 percent, from 2.76 million to 2.65 million.
In the end, it all speaks to a reality about TV news: For all the chatter about who's sitting in the anchor's chair, it's the show itself that draws viewers and keeps them.
Meanwhile, for the week ended Nov. 5, “Today” led comfortably with 6.2 million viewers and a 4.8 rating in households, ahead of “GMA” at 5.2 million viewers and 4.0 rating and “Early” at 2.7 million viewers and a 2.1 rating. "Today's" Halloween episode did especially well, averaging 6.68 million viewers.
Elsewhere in dayparts, NBC’s “Meet the Press” won both total viewers and key demographic adults 25-54 with 3.86 million viewers and a 1.1 rating in that demographic. ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” came in second with 2.44 million viewers and a 0.7 among adults 25-54, while CBS’s “Face the Nation” garnered 2.43 million total viewers and a 0.7 among adults 25-54. Fox’s “News Sunday” was last with 1.12 million total viewers and a 0.4 in the key demo.
In late night, NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” beat CBS’s “Late Show with David Letterman,” with Leno drawing 5.5 million total viewers to Letterman’s 4.3 million. ABC’s “Nightline” brought in 3.3 million viewers. In late-late night programming, NBC’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” beat CBS’s “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” with a total audience of 2.5 million to Ferguson’s 2.1 million. ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” was watched by 1.7 million while NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly” had 1.6 million viewers.
CBS once again won total viewers in daytime drama and full daytime, but was unable to overtake ABC in the key women 18-49 demographic. In daytime dramas, CBS had 4.05 million viewers and a 1.4 rating in the demo, versus ABC’s 1.6 rating and 3.06 million viewers. NBC had 2.49 million viewers and a 1.4. In full daytime, CBS drew 4.29 million viewers and a 1.3 rating in women 18-49, while ABC managed a 1.6 in the demo and 3.10 million viewers. NBC had 2.49 million viewers and a 1.5 rating.
In syndication, ESPN’s regular-season football dominated with an 11.2 household rating, beating out syndication chart-topping perennials “Wheel of Fortune” at 8.5, “Oprah Winfrey Show” at 6.9, “Jeopardy” at 6.7 and “Entertainment Tonight” at 5.4.
For the week ended Nov. 12, including election day, “NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams” enjoyed a comfortable lead over the other evening newscasts, drawing 9.34 million viewers. “ABC World News with Charles Gibson” drew 8.98 million viewers, showing improvement over the same week last year, while “CBS Evening News with Katie Couric” had 7.74 million viewers.
Ping
You mean Katie isn't really popular as everyone thought? LOL!
It just must be you, Katie
Viera pics?
I'm not fond of Meredith, but this is icing on the cake.
FWIW, a good friend of mine who works at CBS said that they expect Matt Lauer, whose wife is preggers, to do a "live Daddy in the delivery room broadcast.."...kind of a "top-this moment" to Katie's live colonoscopy..
HA-HA!!
Rhetorical question:
"have they no shame?"
Katie will just do a live gyno exam to top Lauer.
Good lord - who gives a rat's as....
My only local TV station within range is NBC.
While I still find the Today Show hard to bear, it is bearable whereas with Katie, it was not.
Her wearing black the day after Bush's 2004 election made me want to throw up.
Can you imagine? Millions of people watching you deliver your baby?
If Mrs. Lauer allows this, there is simply something not right about her.
Would love to see what Matt's wife says during labor given their rocky relationship.
Yup..they live nearby..one town up...they were separated for a while..and he was reported buying a $7 million apt in midtown ..now she's preggers..hope it lasts...
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