'Katie' Opens to Biggest Talk Numbers in a Decade

'Probst' performs among women, 'Ricki' lags behind

By Paige Albiniak -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/11/2012 12:13:15 PM

Disney-ABC's Katie opened to the best daytime talk numbers since Dr. Phil premiered in 2002, tying Rachael Ray's first-day ratings in 2006 with a 2.8 rating/8 share primary-run household average among the weighted metered markets, according to Nielsen Media Research.

That's up 22% from its year-ago time period averages of 2.3/6 and up 12% from its lead-in of 2.5/8, which is General Hospital in many big markets. Katie, starring former Today and CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric, launched primarily on ABC-owned and affiliated stations across the country.

Katie won its time period on WABC New York and KABC Los Angeles, and finished first or second in all of the top 15 markets. Among women 25-54, the show turned in a 1.6/9, up 14% compared to last September.

CBS Television Distribution's The Jeff Probst Show opened at a 1.0/3 average household rating for its primary runs in the weighted metered markets. That's off 9% from its 1.1/3 year-ago time period average and down 29% from its 1.4/4 lead-in.

Among women 25-54, Probst, starring the host of CBS' long-running Survivor, was up 40% over its year-ago time period average, going form a 0.5/3 in Sept. 2011 to a 0.7/4. On WNBC New York, where it replaced Sony's Nate Berkus at 2 p.m., the show grew 125% in the key female demo, moving to a 0.9/6 from a 0.4/3. Probst is cleared on NBC-owned stations in the top markets.

Twentieth's Ricki Lake opened at a 0.6/2 household average for all telecasts in the weighted metered markets, down 40% from its year-ago time period average of 1.0/3 and down 33% from its lead-in, a 0.9/3. Among women 25-54, Ricki did a 0.3/2, down 25% from its year-ago time period average of 0.4/3.

Ricki Lake is cleared primarily on Fox and Tribune-owned stations, and in New York, it airs on Tribune-owned WPIX at 4 p.m. Right now, Ricki Lake can't be seen by 40% of the New York market due to Tribune's ongoing dispute with Cablevision over carriage fees.

Warner Bros.' Anderson Live!, which rebooted to a live format and added new guest co-hosts, averaged a 1.3 rating/4 for its primary runs, up 18% from last September and even with its lead-in. In New York, Anderson Live! moved off of WPIX, where it was replaced by Ricki, and on to Fox's WNYW.

NBCU's Steve Harvey, now in its second week, averaged a 1.5/4 for its first five days on the air, up 50% from September 2011 time periods, which were a 1.0/3 household average, and up 25% from its 1.2/4 lead-ins. On Monday, Sept. 10, Steve Harvey held that rating. Steve Harvey is proving appealing to women, significantly improving year-ago performance among all of the key female demographics. Among daytime's key demo of women 25-54, Harvey is averaging a 1.0/6, up 100% from last year's 0.5/3.