2006-07 SEASON WRAP

by Paul J. Gough

May 25, 2007

2006-07 SEASON WRAP
Overview: Patterns, measurements define season
Ratings rerun: Fox, CBS on top
Thursday, Monday are battlegrounds
Chart: Final series ranks
Network news makes headlines

Overview: Patterns, measurements define season

NEW YORK -- It has been a wild and in some cases wacky season for network TV, culminating in a hunt for millions of missing viewers that is so complicated that it's worthy of its own episode of "CSI."

On the surface, it is status quo -- CBS extended its winning streak in total viewers to five years, while "American Idol"-powered Fox bagged a third consecutive season victory among adults 18-49.

But underneath, a sea change has been brewing.

"I think we'll look back and see 2007 as the watershed when all the things we talked about -- viewing behavior and audience measurement of that behavior -- all came together to start the new era," NBC research chief Alan Wurtzel said. "We've talked a lot about change and everything, but this is the first year we've seen it in a profound way."

At the beginning of the season, Nielsen Media Research introduced "most current" ratings, cuming the audiences that watch a show live as well as those that record it on a DVR and watch it up to seven days later.

But even with those additional viewers counted this season, primetime television viewing dropped significantly compared with last season.

The steepest decline was in live viewership, which fell 10% year-over-year among the four major broadcast networks. Adding in DVR viewership, which can boost shows' ratings by as much as 25% or more, the Big Four were still down 5%.

Things turned for the worse in the spring when many of TV's best and brightest fell to season or even series lows. That list includes "Desperate Housewives," "Lost," "Grey's Anatomy," "CSI: Miami" and "ER," among others. Even "Idol" wasn't immune though it hasn't seen a year-over-year decline.

The reasons seem myriad. Explanations include poor comparisons with the Winter Olympics, which boosted viewership levels last year, the lack of stunt counter-programming, a three weeks' earlier start to daylight-saving time, an abnormally high amount of repeats in February and March and a shift in viewing behavior brought on by the DVR, streaming video and the growing number of ways network TV is consumed these days.

"It's never one thing," said Fox scheduling czar Preston Beckman, who acknowledged that the early start to daylight-saving time and the increase in DVR penetration has changed the game.

He thinks that the networks also have learned the hard way that viewers are annoyed by their favorite shows going on hiatus or repeating. It's something Fox took into consideration three years ago when it scheduled "24" straight through. Nielsen said that only 66% of program minutes in March were original compared with 80% a year ago.

Daylight-saving time generally shaves 3% or 4% off viewing, something the networks saw three weeks earlier this year. It particularly hit the 8-9 p.m. hour and such shows as NBC's "My Name Is Earl" and "The Office." But even when things started evening out, the ratings remained down.

"Probably the two had a compound effect and moved people away from their normal March viewing patterns into a lower general pattern of television viewing," CBS research chief David Poltrack said. "We haven't really recovered from that."

Mindshare research director Debbie Solomon thinks that the long hiatus periods and schedule shifts are coming back to haunt the networks and turn off viewers.

"They're not leaving the set, they're leaving the shows," Solomon said. "It's important to make that distinction. The networks have been playing so many games with scheduling and a lot of programs have gone on long hiatus periods and a lot of changed nights. ... I think viewers have given up trying to find their shows."

And unlike the past two years, when several shows debuted in the winter and spring -- "Office," "The Unit," "The New Adventures of Old Christine," "Deal or No Deal" and, of course, "Grey's Anatomy" -- this year fewer programs were introduced and only three, ABC's "October Road," Fox's "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" and CBS' "Rules of Engagement" stuck.

"And certainly you wouldn't put them in the same class as 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Deal or No Deal' in terms of strength," Poltrack said. "This was a spring where the networks were not reinvigorated with new programming as in years past. Hence, more repeats. This led to some lowering of overall viewing levels."

Fox's Beckman doesn't think that the decline is as severe as it seems when just looking at live-plus-same day. It's a function of the fact that the average Nielsen home is three or four times more likely to be recording programming and playing it back later than it was a year ago.

"When you incorporate the live-plus-seven (ratings), you see that viewing isn't down as much as it appears to be," Beckman said. By that yardstick, such series as "24," "Lost" and "Idol" are flat or slightly up compared with a year ago.

NBC's Wurtzel doesn't think that there's a mass departure of network TV viewers. It's just that there are more choices and people are consuming media differently.

"It may well be that for a lot of people they don't feel the need to be there day-and-date for conventional television anymore," he said. "I do not believe that people aren't interested in television. That doesn't make any sense."

But Beckman believes that with the networks putting so many shows on so many platforms, it is leading to a growing perception that viewers don't have to watch it on network TV. The trick, he said, is whether the loss in potential advertising revenue is offset by the gains in the other ways the shows are being sold.

NBC is asking Nielsen to look into its measurement to make sure that there's nothing hinky there, like a few years ago when young male viewership dropped precipitously. Nielsen said it's looking into NBC's concerns and plans to report to its clients before the Memorial Day holiday.

"What we've found is that people aren't watching less TV this season, they're watching slightly less live television," a Nielsen spokesman said.

Wurtzel is more concerned about the changes in the HUT (households using television) and PUT (persons using television) levels, upon which the viewership and ratings are based.

"I would be surprised if there was a proverbial smoking gun. I think it's going to be a lot of different things," he said. "But I think we really have to understand what the Nielsen situation is, either to say we've got to deal with it or to say it's been taken off the list."

Network season rankings
Network Total viewers (in millions) % change from 2005-06
CBS 12.5 -1%
FOX 10.4 +3%
ABC 9.9 -8%
NBC 8.9 -9%
CW 3.2 n/a
All data reflects "most current ratings"--live-plus-seven through availability and live-plus-same day for the final week of the season.


Adults 18-49
Network Total viewers (in millions) % change from 2005-06
FOX 4.0/11 -2%
CBS 3.7/10 -3%
ABC 3.5/10 -13%
NBC 3.1/8 -6%
Adults 18-34
CW 1.5/4 n/a
Source: Neilsen Media Research, Sept. 18-May 23.


Ratings rerun: Fox, CBS on top

NEW YORK -- Fox bagged its third straight crown in the key adults 18-49 demographic for the 2006-07 TV season, while CBS won for a fifth straight year in viewership.

The season finished up in grand style with a primetime Wednesday battle that featured the two-hour finales of "American Idol" and "Lost," overlapping between 9-10:09 p.m. "Idol" won as expected, but "Lost" was able to hold its own, though both shows were down compared with last year's ratings.

Such hits as "Idol" and "House" gave Fox the juice to win in adults 18-49, even though a disappointing fourth quarter got them started slower out of the gate. CBS had no problem holding onto its traditional victory in viewership and adults 25-54, the fifth straight in viewers and the fourth straight in what has become a baby boomer alternative to adults 18-49.

All four networks posted declines in adults 18-49 -- Fox's was the least (2%) and ABC's the steepest (13%) -- while only Fox gained viewers (up 3%) and CBS remained mostly flat, according to season-to-date data released Thursday by Nielsen Media Research. ABC last year had both the Super Bowl and "Monday Night Football," which lowered ratings somewhat and made the comparisons worse than they actually were in the nonsports averages.

Fox averaged a 4.0 rating/11 share in adults 18-49, well ahead of CBS (3.7/10), ABC (3.5/10), NBC (3.1/8) and the CW (1.3/3). CBS averaged 12.4 million viewers for the season compared with Fox's 10.4 million, ABC's 9.9 million, NBC's 8.9 million and the CW's 3.2 million. NBC dropped 6% in adults 18-49 and 9% in viewership. It also was the widest margin of victory in adults 18-49 -- three-tenths of a ratings point -- in five years.

In its inaugural year, the CW did slightly better than either WB Network or UPN in adults 18-34; both of those former networks averaged a 1.4/4 in the demo for the 2005-06 TV season, while the CW this year averaged a 1.5/4, an increase of 7%.

Fox won the season in adults 18-49 for the fifth straight season with a 3.7/11. Meanwhile, "Idol" won Wednesday by far in viewers with 30.7 million and adults 18-49 with an 11.5/31. But it was down 16% in viewers and down 19% in adults 18-49 compared with last year's finale (36.4 million, 14.2/36), bringing in the lowest adults 18-49 number for the Wednesday finale since May 24, 2004.

"Lost," on the other hand, ran up against "Idol" at 9 p.m. and into the 10 p.m. hour, and though it was down year-over-year, it lived to tell about it. "Lost" averaged 13.9 million viewers and a 5.9/15 in adults 18-49, down 22% in viewers and adults 18-49 compared with last season's finale on May 24, 2006 (17.8 million, 7.6/18). It also was lower than the Season 1 finale on May 25, 2005, when it averaged 20.7 million viewers and a 7.8/19.

Meanwhile, ABC's "World News With Charles Gibson" followed its February sweep victory with a May win in viewership and the news demo of adults 25-54. It's the first time the network has posted back-to-back wins since 1996; both "NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams" and the Katie Couric-anchored "CBS Evening News" posted their lowest viewership for a May sweep since at least 1991, according to Nielsen.

ABC's "World News" averaged 7.9 million viewers compared with NBC's 7.3 million and CBS' 6.1 million viewers. ABC was the only newscast to grow in viewership May-to-May; NBC was down 11%, and CBS was down 15%. ABC also was on top in adults 25-54 with a 2.0 rating compared with NBC's 1.8 and CBS' 1.6.

Season-to-date, however, "NBC Nightly News" remained on top in viewership and tied with the ABC broadcast in adults 25-54. NBC is averaging 8.9 million viewers vs. ABC's 8.7 million and CBS' 7.2 million; both NBC and ABC have a 2.3 rating in adults 25-54, while CBS has a 1.9 rating.

NBC's "Today" remained on top in the morning but was on track for its worst May sweep performance since the mid-'90s. "Today" averaged 5.3 million viewers vs. 5 million viewers for "Good Morning America" and 2.6 million viewers for "The Early Show." Among adults 25-54, "Today" had 2.5 million viewers compared with ABC's 2.1 million and CBS' 1.1 million.


Thursday, Monday are battlegrounds

NEW YORK -- Schedulingwise, the big story heading into this season was ABC's decision to move "Grey's Anatomy" against CBS powerhouse "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" at 9 p.m. Thursdays. By all accounts, it was a success for "Grey's" and put ABC into the profitable Thursday night mix for the first time since the days of "Barney Miller" and "Mork & Mindy."

ABC also moved rookie "Ugly Betty," originally slotted for Fridays, to the Thursday 8 p.m. hour, where it showed initial success and, later in the season, gave "October Road" a strong start after "Grey's" that earned the series a renewal.

Even Fox, which has never been competitive on Thursdays, turned the lights on midseason with "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?"

The result? Thursdays are more competitive than ever.

"Thursday at 8 is approaching parity for the four networks," Fox scheduling czar Preston Beckman said. "That's an opportunity for us down the road."

CBS research chief David Poltrack thinks that CBS and ABC both survived the head-to-head battle at 9 p.m. because of DVRs.

"In a non-DVR world, this would have been a tough situation for the viewer and for CBS in particular because 'Grey's' comes in there and people have to make a decision whether they're going to watch 'CSI' or 'Grey's,' " Poltrack said. "But with DVRs, people were able to watch both." Half the "CSI" viewership comes in playback mode, according to CBS data.

Another night that was infused with new blood this season was Monday, where ABC found post-"Monday Night Football" success with "Dancing With the Stars" and NBC with freshman hit "Heroes." "Heroes" had an impact on Fox's serialized "24," which saw its numbers slide after an explosive season premiere.

"Monday night with the emergence of 'Heroes' and CBS being consistently solid on the night and ABC putting 'Dancing With the Stars' there, that's a very competitive night of television," Beckman said.

Poltrack said the network expected to see some declines with "CSI: Miami," given the fact that "MNF" would go to ESPN and add another strong competitor on the night.

While NBC's primetime fortunes diminished in the second half of the season, its pickup of "Sunday Night Football" helped prop up its fall lineup. A competitor's analysis found that NBC's schedule was up 5% in the fourth quarter thanks to football, while viewership declined 10% in the football-less second half of the season.

"It came along at a good time for them," a rival executive said.


Chart: Final series ranks

Rank/Series	Net	Viewers	Adults 18-49 Rating/Share (Rank)
1. American Idol (Results)	Fox	30.6	12.3/30 (1)
2. American Idol	Fox	30.1	12.0/31 (2)
3. Dancing With The Stars 3	ABC	20.7	5.8/15 (10)
4. CSI Crime Scene Investigation	CBS	20.5	6.6/16 (6)
5. Dancing With The Stars 4	ABC	20.0	5.4/14 (12)
6. Grey's Anatomy	ABC	19.5	8.1/20 (3)
7. House	Fox	19.4	8.1/20 (3)
7. Dancing With The Stars 3 (Results)	ABC	19.4	5.0/14 (14)
9. Dancing With The Stars 4 (Results)	ABC	18.2	4.8/12 (19)
10. Desperate Housewives	ABC	17.5	6.9/16 (5)
11. CSI: Miami	CBS	17.1	5.4/14 (12)
12. NBC Sunday Night Football	NBC	16.5	6.4/16 (7)
13. Survivor: Cook Islands	CBS	15.8	5.5/15 (11)
14. Deal Or No Deal (Monday)	NBC	14.9	4.4/12 (23)
15. Survivor: Fiji	CBS	14.8	5.0/14 (14)
16. Without A Trace	CBS	14.7	4.1/11 (28)
17. Lost	ABC	14.6	6.3/16 (9)
18. NCIS	CBS	14.5	3.5/9 (43)
19. Two And A Half Men	CBS	14.4	4.7/11 (20)
19. Cold Case	CBS	14.4	3.8/9 (37)
21. Heroes	NBC	14.3	6.4/15 (7)
22. Criminal Minds	CBS	14.0	3.9/10 (33)
23. CSI: NY	CBS	13.9	4.3/11 (25)
24. Shark	CBS	13.7	3.8/10 (37)
25. Extreme Makeover: Home Ed.	ABC	13.4	4.9/12 (17)
26. 60 Minutes	CBS	13.2	2.8/8 (68)
27. 24	Fox	13.0	5.0/12 (14)
28. Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?	Fox	12.7	4.6/13 (21)
29. Rules Of Engagement	CBS	12.4	4.5/10 (22)
30. Law & Order: SVU	NBC	11.9	4.2/11 (27)
31. ER	NBC	11.5	4.9/13 (17)
31. The Amazing Race 10	ABC	11.5	3.9/9 (33)
33. Deal Or No Deal (Friday)	NBC	11.4	3.1/11 (56)
33. The King Of Queens	CBS	11.4	4.0/10 (32)
35. Ugly Betty	ABC	11.3	3.7/10 (40)
36. The Unit	CBS	11.1	3.2/8 (51)
37. Brothers & Sisters	ABC	11.0	4.3/11 (25)
38. Numbers	CBS	10.5	2.9/9 (65)
38. October Road	ABC	10.5	4.4/12 (23)
40. Old Christine	CBS	10.4	3.4/8 (46)
41. Close To Home	CBS	10.3	2.5/8 (87)
41. Deal Or No Deal (Wed/Thu/Sun)	NBC	10.3	3.1/7 (56)
41. Bachelor: Officer & Gentleman	ABC	10.3	3.9/9 (33)
44. Smith	CBS	10.1	3.4/9 (46)
44. The Amazing Race 11	CBS	10.1	3.4/9 (46)
44. Ghost Whisperer	CBS	9.9	3.0/10 (61)
47. 1 Vs. 100	NBC	9.6	2.8/9 (68)
48. Boston Legal	ABC	9.5	2.7/7 (74)
48. Jericho	CBS	9.5	2.8/8 (68)
50. Bones	Fox	9.4	3.2/9 (51)
51. Prison Break	Fox	9.3	3.9/10 (33)
51. 3 Lbs.	CBS	9.3	2.8/7 (68)
53. Extreme Makeover: Home Ed. (7 P.M.)	ABC	9.2	3.2/10 (51)
54. America's Funniest Home Videos	ABC	9.0	2.7/8 (74)
54. Las Vegas	NBC	9.0	2.9/8 (65)
54. Law & Order	NBC	9.0	2.7/8 (74)
54. Supernanny	CBS	9.0	3.6/8 (41)
58. My Name Is Earl	NBC	8.9	3.8/11 (37)
59. Law & Order: CI	NBC	8.8	2.8/7 (68)
60. The Simpsons	Fox	8.6	4.1/10 (28)
61. Medium	NBC	8.5	3.0/8 (61)
61. How I Met Your Mother	CBS	8.5	3.2/9 (51)
61. Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip	NBC	8.5	3.6/9 (41)
61. Bachelor: Rome	ABC	8.5	3.4/8 (46)
65. Help Me Help You	ABC	8.4	2.6/7 (81)
65. Men In Trees	ABC	8.4	2.8/8 (68)
65. The Class	CBS	8.4	3.0/8 (61)
68. Six Degrees	ABC	8.3	3.4/9 (46)
68. The Office	NBC	8.3	4.1/11 (28)
68. The Biggest Loser 3	NBC	8.3	3.5/9 (43)
71. Family Guy	Fox	8.2	4.1/9 (28)
72. The Nine	ABC	8.1	3.1/8 (56)
73. Wife Swap	ABC	7.7	3.1/8 (56)
74. Saturday Night Football	ABC	7.6	2.6/8 (81)
75. 20/20	ABC	7.5	2.4/7 (89)
75. The Apprentice	NBC	7.5	3.1/7 (56)
75. 48 Hours Mystery	CBS	7.5	2.1/6 (104)
75. Grease: You're The One That I Want	NBC	7.5	2.4/6 (89)
79. American Dad	Fox	7.3	3.5/8 (43)
79. Show Me The Money	ABC	7.3	2.0/6 (107)
81. Crossing Jordan	NBC	7.2	2.2/5 (99)
82. 'Til Death	Fox	7.1	2.9/8 (65)
83. Raines	NBC	6.7	1.7/6 (121)
83. The Black Donnellys	NBC	6.7	2.7/7 (74)
85. Day Break	ABC	6.6	2.4/6 (89)
86. Wedding Bells	Fox	6.5	2.4/7 (89)
87. Scrubs	NBC	6.4	3.2/8 (51)
87. Thank God You're Here	NBC	6.4	2.6/7 (81)
87. Primetime: The Outsiders	ABC	6.4	2.3/5 (93)
90. AMW: America Fights Back	Fox	6.3	2.3/7 (93)
90. Identity	NBC	6.3	1.8/6 (118)
90. According To Jim	ABC	6.3	2.3/6 (93)
93. Dateline NBC (Tues.)	NBC	6.2	2.0/5 (107)
93. Dateline NBC (Sun.)	NBC	6.2	1.5/5 (125)
95. Armed & Famous	CBS	6.1	2.0/5 (107)
95. Primetime Live	ABC	6.1	2.3/6 (93)
95. Friday Night Lights	NBC	6.1	2.3/6 (93)
95. Standoff	Fox	6.1	2.5/7 (87)
95. The Winner	Fox	6.1	3.0/8 (61)
95. George Lopez	ABC	6.1	2.2/6 (99)
101. What About Brian	ABC	5.9	2.7/7 (74)
102. Cops	Fox	5.8	2.1/8 (104)
102. The Real Wedding Crashers	NBC	5.8	2.7/7 (74)
102. 30 Rock	NBC	5.8	2.7/7 (74)
105. Dateline NBC (Sat)	NBC	5.7	1.5/5 (125)
106. Kidnapped	NBC	5.6	1.9/6 (112)
106. Justice	Fox	5.6	1.9/5 (112)
106. Twenty Good Years	NBC	5.6	2.1/6 (104)
109. King Of The Hill	Fox	5.5	2.6/7 (81)
109. Notes From The Underbelly	ABC	5.5	2.2/6 (99)
109. Vanished	Fox	5.5	1.9/5 (112)
112. Drive	Fox	5.4	2.2/6 (99)
112. America's Next Top Model 8	CW	5.4	2.6/7 (81)
112. America's Next Top Model 7	CW	5.4	2.6/7 (81)
112. Andy Barker, P.I.		5.4	2.3/6 (93)
116. Big Day	ABC	5.3	1.8/5 (118)
117. Knights Of Prosperity	ABC	5.0	2.0/5 (107)
118. War At Home	Fox	4.9	2.2/6 (99)
119. In Case Of Emergency	ABC	4.8	2.0/5 (107)
120. Trading Spouses	Fox	4.5	1.9/5 (112)
120. The Great American Dream Vote	ABC	4.5	1.4/4 (130)
120. Friday Night Smackdown!	CW	4.5	1.5/5 (125)
123. Nanny 911	Fox	4.3	1.8/6 (118)
123. The O.C.	Fox	4.3	1.9/4 (112)
125. The Rich List	Fox	4.1	1.5/4 (125)
125. Smallville	CW	4.1	1.7/5 (121)
127. Beauty And The Geek	CW	4.0	1.9/5 (112)
128. Happy Hour	Fox	3.9	1.6/4 (124)
129. Gilmore Girls	CW	3.7	1.7/4 (121)
129. Celebrity Duets	Fox	3.7	1.4/3 (130)
131. Reba	CW	3.6	1.3/3 (133)
132. King Of The Hill	Fox	3.4	1.5/5 (125)
133. 7th Heaven	CW	3.3	1.2/3 (136)
134. Supernatural	CW	3.1	1.3/3 (133)
135. Pussycat Dolls Present	CW	3.0	1.4/3 (130)
136. One Tree Hill	CW	2.9	1.3/3 (133)
137. Everybody Hates Chris	CW	2.7	1.1/3 (137)
138. Veronica Mars	CW	2.5	1.1/3 (137)
138. Girlfriends	CW	2.5	1.1/3 (137)
138. All Of Us	CW	2.4	1.0/3 (141)
141. The Game	CW	2.3	1.1/2 (137)
142. Runaway	CW	2.0	0.7/2 (142)

Network news makes headlines

NEW YORK -- A year ago at CBS' upfront presentation at Carnegie Hall, newly crowned network star Katie Couric made a grand entrance amid hopes that her anchorship of the "CBS Evening News" would be a strong step forward for women as well as the boost that the third-place newscast would need to make the leap to first place.

It didn't work out that way.

In the year since the announcement, the hope has turned to the realization that the "CBS Evening News" isn't destined for first place anytime soon. But another newcomer to the evening news, ABC's Charles Gibson, has leaped into first place in recent months and is poised to overtake traditional leader Brian Williams in the next few months.

That has caused a lot of turmoil in the traditionally staid world of the network evening newscasts, with NBC and CBS showing their executive producers the door this spring and hard-luck ABC heading to the top with a traditional newscast and a familiar face. NBC has been unable to stem ABC's advances, while CBS stays in third place no matter what the network does.

It's quite a change from a year ago, when NBC still was riding high from its high-profile and award-winning coverage of Hurricane Katrina that gave Williams the big story he needed to help viewers put his predecessor Tom Brokaw firmly in the past. Williams and NBC also was the beneficiary of the strong transition plan the network had, something that neither ABC nor CBS had in place when they unexpectedly lost their anchors.

Gibson was selected to anchor "ABC World News" after more than a year of reeling in the face of the death of longtime anchor Peter Jennings and the near fatal-injury of new co-anchor Bob Woodruff in Iraq. Woodruff's injury led to ABC re-evaluating its pairing of Woodruff and Elizabeth Vargas. Vargas soon stepped aside in favor of Gibson, who began his job last May.

Gibson's move from "Good Morning America" to the evening news anchor chair was mostly overshadowed by Couric, which suited Gibson just fine and gave the network time to strengthen its fundamentals in time to make a run at No. 1 under the helm of executive producer Jon Banner. Meanwhile, "Today" star Couric and CBS spent the summer contemplating ways to reinvent the evening news broadcast.

Following a massive marketing campaign, "CBS Evening News With Katie Couric" had a big debut, drawing 13 million viewers in its first broadcast Sept. 5, far eclipsing its rivals. But the Couric-anchored newscast, which received mixed reviews, quickly lost momentum, and NBC returned to the top spot in the ratings. Then in February, ABC's "World News" and anchor Gibson began a hot streak. Adding insult to injury, CBS continued to decline and, in recent weeks, posted historic lows for the broadcast in viewership.

The poor ratings cost CBS executive producer Rome Hartman his job; he was replaced by news vet Rick Kaplan, who immediately made the show much more harder news and CBS execs acknowledged that they misread the capacity for the evening news viewer to watch something different.

Over at "NBC Nightly News," executive producer John Reiss was replaced by NBC News vp Alex Wallace, who left the executive suite to shape up the newscast as it felt the pressure to battle a resurgent ABC. Results so far have been mixed.
Last week, the ABC newscast won the fourth straight week in viewership, households and the adults 25-54 demographic -- the first time ABC had won all three categories for four straight weeks since November 1996.

The anchor changes on ABC and CBS' evening newscasts had a ripple effect in the morning this past season. Both ABC's "GMA" and NBC's "Today" have posted declines since Gibson and Couric left the early shift.

NBC has suffered without Couric, who was replaced by Meredith Vieira in a smooth on-air transition that has yet to reap the viewership that Couric attracted. ABC also has had tougher sledding with the departure of Gibson in favor of Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts along with a supporting cast that includes Chris Cuomo and Sam Champion.