`MERLIN' WORKS MAGIC FOR NBC.Byline: Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. The opening night of ``Merlin'' gave NBC NBC in full National Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. commercial broadcasting company. It was formed in 1926 by RCA Corp., General Electric Co. (GE), and Westinghouse and was the first U.S. company to operate a broadcast network. its best miniseries ratings in more than a decade and helped the network to an easy victory at the outset of the May ``sweeps'' period. Sunday's ``Merlin'' opening was the highest-rated movie on television since ``Jurassic Park'' in 1995 and NBC's best miniseries rating since ``Fatal Vision'' in 1984. NBC won the week with a 10.7 rating and 18 share, Nielsen Media Research said Tuesday. Second-place CBS (Cell Broadcast Service) See cell broadcast. had a 9.3 rating/16 share, followed by ABC's 7.5 rating/13 share and Fox's 6.6 rating/11 share. The May sweeps, one of four months when ratings are watched closely to set local advertising rates, began on Thursday. CBS has won the last two sweeps, but NBC will be tough to beat this month, particularly with the final ``Seinfeld'' still to come. Sunday night Sunday Night, later named Michelob Presents Night Music, was an NBC late-night television show which aired for two seasons between 1988 and 1990 as a showcase for jazz and eclectic musical artists. was a good one for TV, with NBC estimating that 84 million people tuned in to one of the top four networks between 9 and 10 p.m. CBS' movie, ``Nicholas' Gift,'' finished ninth for the week, and ABC's showing of ``Apollo 13'' finished 21st. CAPTION(S): Box Box: (Nielsen Ratings Nielsen ratings National ratings of the popularity of U.S. television shows. Developed by A.C. Nielsen in 1950, the system now samples television viewing in about 5,000 homes. ) |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion