`SEINFELD' EXITS ON TOP; NBC NO. 1.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 blockbuster final episode of ``Seinfeld'' nailed down the series' claim as the year's top-rated show. ``Seinfeld'' and the season-ending episode of ``ER'' also combined to help 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. to another easy one-week victory during the crucial May ``sweeps'' period, when ratings are measured to set advertising rates. The Thursday night hits have been television's top two shows for four seasons in a row. ``Seinfeld'' was the top-rated show during the 1994-95 season but it finished second to ``ER'' in each of the next two seasons. ``ER'' was in the lead for much of this year, too, until the final two episodes of ``Seinfeld'' drew the comedy its highest ratings ever. The 1997-98 season ends Wednesday. Through last week, ``Seinfeld'' had a season rating of 22.0, while ``ER'' had a 20.7 rating. Thursday's ``Seinfeld'' had a whopping 41.3 rating and 58 share, drawing an estimated 76 million viewers, Nielsen Media Research said Tuesday. By contrast, ``Touched by an Angel,'' the week's fourth-rated show - No. 2 was a ``Seinfeld'' retrospective and ``ER'' was No. 3 - had only 20 million viewers. For the week, NBC had a 12.1 rating and 21 share. CBS (Cell Broadcast Service) See cell broadcast. was second with a 9.2 rating and 16 share, followed by struggling ABC ABC in full American Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. television network. It began when the expanding national radio network NBC split into the separate Red and Blue networks in 1928. at 7.1 and 12, and Fox's 6.8 and 12. The WB had a 3.5 rating and 6 share, had UPN UPN User Principal Name (Microsoft Windows 2000) UPN United Paramount Network UPN Unión del Pueblo Navarro (Navarrese People Union) UPN Umgekehrte Polnische Notation 2.5 and 4. A rating point represents 980,000 households, or 1 percent of the nation's estimated 98 million TV homes. Share is the percentage of in-use televisions tuned to a given show. ``The Nanny'' had its first top 10 showing of the season with its wedding episode. Fox's ``Busted bust·ed adj. 1. Slang a. Smashed or broken: busted glass; a busted rib. b. Out of order; inoperable: a busted vending machine. 2. on the Job'' was 13th, the best of several reality specials on the network's schedule. Two high-priced veteran comedies continued their ratings slide. ABC's ``Home Improvement'' tied for 35th, and NBC's ``Mad About You'' was tied for 41st.The WB's ``7th Heaven'' was that network's first show ever to score a 10 share. NBC's ``Nightly News'' had a 7.2 rating and 17 share to win the evening news race. ABC's ``World News Tonight'' was second with a 6.8 rating and 16 share, followed by the ``CBS Evening News'' at 6.6 and 15. 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. ) |
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