Election controversy fuels fringe numbers
'SNL,' 'Press' post high ratings
"SNL," which has featured numerous sketches parodying the ongoing political situation, wrapped sweeps with a 5.3 rating/21 share in adults 18-49 and an average audience of 10.3 million viewers, up 26% in adults 18-49 and 31% in total viewers compared with November 1999 sweeps, according to Nielsen numbers.
During the November sweeps, "Meet the Press With Tim Russert" outdistanced its ABC competish by more than a full ratings point in homes, posting a 4.4 rating/14 share, compared with a 3.0/9 for the Alphabet's "This Week." CBS' "Face the Nation" posted a 2.6/8. Compared with the November 1999 sweeps, "Meet the Press" jumped by 27% in total viewers, as did "This Week."
Full-court 'Press'
On Nov. 26, "Meet the Press" delivered its highest numbers ever during a sweeps period, attracting an average of 5.2 million total viewers, compared with "This Week's" 3.6 million and 3.2 million for "Face the Nation." "This Week" increased 21% in total viewers and a whopping 61% in adults 25-54 compared with the same week last year.
Meanwhile, for the week ended Nov. 24, CBS posted strong performances with the latenight combo of "Late Show With David Letterman" and "The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn" both up from the same week last year.
With a 3.8/10 in households and an average of 5.1 million viewers, "Late Show" posted its best household and viewer delivery since February, up 9% in both households and viewers from the same frame last year. The week marked the show's best household and viewer delivery since the week ended Feb. 25, when Letterman returned from heart surgery.
"The Late Late Show" posted a 1.5/6 in households with an average of 1.9 million viewers. The week was its most watched ever, and the show matched its best-ever household delivery. Compared with the same week last year, "Late Late Show" was up 15% in households, 22% in viewers and 14% in adults 18-49 (0.8/5 vs. 0.7/5).
