CBS Ratings Remain Elevated Over Last Year

NEW YORK: CBS was up last week in prime time while the rest of the Big Four fell. The Eye Network also was up season-to-date, while ABC, Fox and NBC were off versus the comparable period last year.

Among cable nets, BET logged the biggest jump for the one-week period with 62 percent. VH1 pulled in a number 57 percent larger than first week in May last year. Fox News Channel was up 47 percent season to date.

Wachovia’s ad market update: “As we get closer to next week’s upfront presentations, we continue to expect a very slow, drawn out process, as both sides appear to be digging in over price. We ultimately think the need to write a minimum amount of inventory will drive CPMs modestly lower.”

Wachovia’s report tracks the weekly (ending May 10) and season-to-date (STD), year-to-year change in average households data for broadcast (live plus same day) and audience data for cable nets (live plus same day). STD is prime time (PT) unless otherwise noted, e.g., Food and HGTV.

-- Disney (ABC): Prime-time average household rating was -9 percent for total HHs and -14 percent for P18-49. Season-to-date average was -6 percent for both.

-- CBS (CBS): PT avg. HH rating was +7 percent for total HHs and +5 percent for P18-49. STD avg. audience was +8 percent and +4 percent, respectively.

-- News Corp. (FOX): PT avg. HH rating was -8 percent for total HHs and -10 percent for P18-49. STD avg. audience was -15 percent and -18 percent, respectively.

-- GE (NBC): PT avg. HH rating was -2 percent for total HHs and +5 percent for P18-49. STD avg. audience was -9 percent and -3 percent, respectively.

-- Viacom:
BET: PT avg. audience was +62 percent for P2+ and +70 percent for P25-54. STD avg. audience was +13 percent for P2+ and +15 percent for P25-54.
Comedy Central:PT avg. audience was -13 percent for P2+ and -8 percent for P25-54. STD avg. audience was +2 percent and -2 percent, respectively.
MTV: PT avg. audience was -20 percent for P2+ and -1 percent for P25-54. STD avg. audience was -24 percent and -15 percent, respectively.
VH1: PT avg. audience was +57 percent for P2+ and +45 percent for P25-54. STD avg. audience was -6 percent and -3 percent, respectively.
Nickelodeon:PT avg. audience was +5 percent for P2+ and +4 percent for P2-11. STD avg. audience was +8 percent for both.

-- Discovery:
Discovery Channel: PT avg. audience was +4 percent for P2+ and +6 percent for P25-54. STD avg. audience was +5 percent and +7 percent, respectively.
The Learning Channel:PT avg. audience was -6 percent for P2+ and -10 percent for P25-54. STD avg. audience was +4 percent and -3 percent, respectively.
Animal Planet:PT avg. audience was +13 percent for P2+ and +23 percent for P25-54. STD avg. audience was +7 percent and +12 percent, respectively.

-- Scripps:
HGTV:PT avg. audience was -5 percent for P2+ and -12 percent for P25-54. STD PT avg. audience was +1 percent and -2 percent, respectively. STD total day avg. audience was -3 percent for P2+ and -2 percent for P25-54.
Food Network:PT avg. audience was +21 percent for P2+ and +31 percent for P25-54. STD PT avg. audience was +15 percent for P2+ and P25-54. STD total day avg. audience is +7 percent for P2+ and P25-54.

-- Disney:
ESPN PT avg. audience was -22 percent for P2+ and -17 percent for P25-54. STD avg. audience was +1 percent for both demos.
Disney Channel PT avg. audience was +13 percent for P2+ and P2-11. STD avg. audience was -9 percent for both.

-- News Corp. :
Fox News Channel:PT avg. audience was +14 percent for P2+ and +22 percent for P25-54. STD avg. audience was +47 percent and +52 percent respectively.
F/X: PT avg. audience was +18 percent for P2+ and +29 percent for P25-54. STD avg. audience was +2 percent for P2+ and P25-54.
Nat’l Geographic:PT avg. audience was +14 percent for P2+ and +18 percent for P25-54. STD avg. audience was +12 percent and +9 percent, respectively.