ABC streaks, morning and night
Daytime ratings were somewhat depressed compared to the prior week, but that didn't prevent CBS from notching its 213th straight win with a 5.3 rating, 21 share for the week to ABC's 4.9/18 and NBC's 2.6/10.
ABC led as usual among women age 18-49 with a 3.8 rating to CBS' 2.9 and NBC's 1.6.
NBC has already announced several scheduling changes to try and improve its daytime fortunes starting in June, when it will replace the low-rated gameshows "Scrabble,""Scattergories" and "Family Secrets" with the one-hour Paramount series "John & Leeza" and the new gameshow "Caesars Challenge."
"GMA" echoed the prior week's figures with a 4.7/19 to "Today's" 4.2/17 and a 3.1/13 for "CBS This Morning." The ABC breakfastcast was also first among adults 18-49 with a 2.1 rating, to NBC's 1.9 and CBS' 1.0.
"Nightline" posted a 5.4/16 for the week, again topping "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" (5.0/15 from 11:30 p.m. to midnight, 4.6/15 overall) in their common half-hour. Both averages are for four days, excluding March 29, when ABC aired the Academy Awards. "Nightline" drew a 5.3/26 starting at 1 a.m. the night of the Oscars.
CBS' "Crime Time" shows averaged a 2.8/10 for the week.
With CBS again suffering preemptions due to basketball, meanwhile, the Fox Children's Network narrowly edged ABC in the Saturday-morning race with a 6.5 to 6.4 average rating edge among children 2-11 and a rare household win, with a 3.6 /13 to ABC's 3.5/13 and a 3.0/11 for the Eye network. CBS averaged a 5.5 among kids, a demographic in which Fox has now ranked first nine of the last 13 weeks. CBS averaged a 12.7/28 from 5:30-8 p.m. (ET) with its opening NCAA Final Four game on April 2 to lead weekend sports coverage. Net also drew an OK 5.5/14 with the women's championship April 3, actually drawing a better rating than NBC's same-day NBA basketball telecast (5.1/15).
