Syndication Ratings: Magazines Draw Viewers With Coverage of Colorado Massacre

Mostly in repeats, other genres mostly flat or down

By Paige Albiniak -- Broadcasting & Cable, 8/7/2012 3:23:01 PM

Syndication's access magazines saw their ratings improve with coverage of the tragic news that a shooter had opened fire in a Colorado movie theater in the week ending July 29.

CBS Television Distribution's Entertainment Tonight hit its best number since mid-March, a 3.7 live plus same day household rating, up 6% from both the prior week and the prior year. In second place, CTD's Inside Edition was flat at a 2.9. Warner Bros.' TMZ added 6% to a 1.9. NBCU's Access Hollywood jumped 6% to a 1.8. Warner Bros.' Extra had the biggest increase among the magazine strips, gaining 7% for the week and the year to a 1.6, marking its best ratings since the May sweep. CTD's The Insider, in last place, held firm at a 1.5.

CTD's Dr. Phil led the talkers with a 2.4, down 4% from the prior week, but up 9% from last year at this time. Disney-ABC's Live! With Kelly, one of the few shows in first-run syndication that isn't in repeats, was flat at a 2.3, tying NBCU's Maury, which lost 4%. Sony's Dr. Oz was fourth and flat at a 2.2.  

Fifth place was a four-way tie between CTD's Rachael Ray and The Doctors, Warner Bros.' Ellen, and NBCU's Jerry Springer, all at a 1.5.  Of those four, Rachael Ray grew the most for the week and the year among all the veteran talkers, advancing 15% in both measures. Ellen, on the other hand, dropped 6% to a new season low. The Doctors was flat while Springer added 7%. NBCU's Steve Wilkos rose 8% to a 1.3 and Debmar-Mercury's Wendy Williams was flat at a 0.8.

Warner Bros.' rookie Anderson, which is being renamed Anderson Live in its second season, held steady at a 1.1. Debmar-Mercury's Jeremy Kyle advanced 25% from a 0.4 to a 0.5, while Entertainment Studios' We the People and CTD's late-night dating show, Excused, both held their ground at a 0.4 and 0.7, respectively.

CTD's Judge Judy added 3% for the week to a 6.3, good enough to tie Warner Bros.' The Big Bang Theory as syndication's top-rated show.  CTD's Judge Joe Brown improved 4% to a 2.5. Warner Bros.' People's Court and Judge Mathis both were unchanged at a 1.9 and 1.4, respectively. Mathis tied Twentieth's Judge Alex, which was up 8%, while Twentieth's Divorce Court was flat at a 1.3. Entertainment Studios' America's Court dropped 11% to a 0.8.

CTD's Wheel of Fortune was flat for the week at a 6.0, and in second place in overall syndication. CTD's Jeopardy! dipped 2% to a 5.1. Debmar-Mercury's Family Feud and Disney-ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire both were unchanged at a 3.2 and 2.4, respectively.

Big Bang Theory remained the off-net sitcom leader at a 6.3, even though the show declined 5% for the week. Warner Bros.' Two and a Half Men slipped 2% to a 5.1. Twentieth's Family Guy gave back 5% to a 3.8. Twentieth's How I Met Your Mother slid 7% to a 2.8. Twentieth's King of the Hill dropped 8% to a 2.3. Sony's Seinfeld skidded 4% to a 2.2. Warner Bros.' Friends climbed 11% to a 2.1, while CTD's Everybody Loves Raymond retreated 5% to a 2.0.