PIGGING OUT PUTS OFF SOME 'SURVIVOR' VIEWERS.

Byline: - Valerie Kuklenski

Mitchell Olson was bounced after a suspenseful tribal council, while Michael Skupin brought home the bacon, driving animal rights activists to complain about his mano a hoof blood lust.

Otherwise ``Survivor: The Australian Outback'' did continue to outduel the expanded ``Friends,'' though there are some indications it may be losing steam with viewers.

Those who did tune in Thursday night saw Skupin, 38-year-old president of a software publishing and distribution company, land on a fleeing wild boar and stab it to death, then celebrate his kill by painting his face with the pig's blood. Fellow camper Kimmi Kappenberg, a vegetarian, was not alone in her distress about this particular food fight. The Humane Society of the United States weighed in with a statement that complained that ``this animal died and suffered for entertainment purposes masquerading as 'hunting and gathering.' ''

CBS responded by saying that they believe the reality-series viewers recognize hunting and fishing as an acceptable ``means of sustenance.'' The network also felt that Kappenberg, a 28-year-old bartender, provided a ``pro-vegetarian/animal rights point-of-view.''

Olson, for his part, told Jane Clayson during his appearance on CBS' ``The Early Show'' on Friday that he wasn't thrilled with the experience. The 23-year-old singer-songwriter from New Jersey was kicked out of the game after two tied votes broken by a rules clause that throws in cumulative votes from previous tribal councils. ``I can put myself back in those shoes and realize how much I was suffering and I couldn't do it again,'' Olson said. ``It was a great adventure, but I wouldn't do it again.''

Preliminary ratings for Thursday's telecast, the third in its regular 8-to-9 p.m. time slot since the roughing-for-dollars show returned Jan. 28, show a decline in household ratings as well as total viewers and key adult demographics sought by advertisers.

Early results from Nielsen Media Research showed ``Survivor'' delivered 28.3 million viewers, off from 29.4 million on Feb. 8. It garnered a 16.7 household rating and 26 share, down from a 17.4/26 the week before.

On NBC, a 40-minute ``Friends'' featuring Susan Sarandon and a 20- minute ``Friends'' bloopers special claimed second place in household ratings and share (14.2/22) and total viewers (21.9 million), and topped ``Survivor'' among adults 18-34 and adults 18-49.

There has been a slight but steady decline in the ``Survivor'' Los Angeles ratings in three weeks, from a 16.5 rating on Feb. 1 to a 15.3 rating this week. In the national numbers, a household rating point represents 1,022,000 television households. The share is the percentage of TV households watching a particular show.

But with ``Survivor'' II and ``CSI'' having seized the 8 and 9 p.m. hours of Thursday, CBS is trying to put the finishing touches on taking over the evening, which has been an NBC stronghold since the mid-1980s. Starting March 1, the network is pulling the low-rated newsmagazine ``48 Hours'' and unveiling ``Big Apple,'' which is one of this season's most highly touted new series because of its blueblood pedigree.

The police drama is a creation of David Milch and Anthony Yerkovich. Milch is a co-creator of ``NYPD Blue'' and Yerkovich created ``Miami Vice'' with Michael Mann.

``Big Apple'' focuses on the empire-building and the competition for high-profile arrests between local law enforcement and the FBI. Oh, yeah, there is already a casting call for ``Survivor III.'' Applications are available on the Web at www.cbs.com and must be submitted by midnight April 13. The location of the new test is top secret, according to CBS, but it's a safe bet it's where contestants don't have to wear a lot of clothes. So Antarctica is out.