Revised Nielsens dent webs

NBC still wins, 'Early' and 'Walker' hit low points

By TOM BIERBAUM

Nielsen Media Research has revised its May 25-31 primetime averages, docking each major net a tenth of a point. With the finishing order remaining the same, the week's corrected averages are: NBC, a 9.6 rating, 18 share; CBS, 7.0/13; ABC, 6.5/12; Fox, 5.1/9; WB, 2.6/5; UPN, 2.1/4.

Problems arose primarily on Saturday, where preemptions for the Children's Miracle Network telethon weren't accurately reflected in Nielsen's original figures. With those preemptions figured in, CBS dropped most precipitously, from a 5.8/12 to a 5.0/10. Hardest hit were "Early Edition," which dropped from a 5.2/11 in early numbers to an all-time low 4.2/8, and "Walker, Texas Ranger," which fell from a 7.6/15 to a regular-slot lowest-ever 6.3/12.

Other revised Saturday averages were: Fox, 5.7/12; ABC, 4.4/9; NBC, 3.8/8. It was NBC's lowest-rated Saturday in the 52 weeks since the last CMN telethon.

Each household rating point represents an estimated 980,000 homes, or 1% of the country's TV homes. A share is the same sort of percentage, except it measures only the homes or viewers watching TV during the timeslot involved.