Syndication Ratings: After Week One, 'Katie' Remains Rookie Leader

On weaker stations, 'Steve Harvey' is only new freshman showing growth over last year and lead-in

By Paige Albiniak -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/17/2012 1:33:35 PM

With one week under their belts, Disney-ABC's Katie leads the rookie talkers in households, averaging a 2.3 rating/7 share for its first week on the air, according to Nielsen Media Research. That's even with both its 2.3/7 lead-in and year-ago time period average.

Katie is the highest-rated talk premiere since 2006, when CBS Television Distribution's Rachael Ray averaged a 2.6 household rating among the weighted metered markets in its first week.

NBCUniversal's Steve Harvey is the next highest rated freshman, averaging a 1.4/4, up 40% in rating from its 1.0/4 year-ago time period average and up 27% from its 1.1/4 lead-in. Harvey, with the NBC owned stations as its launch group, is cleared on weaker stations and in weaker time slots than Katie, which occupies former Oprah time periods on strong ABC owned stations in top markets.

CBS Television Distribution's Jeff Probst, starring the longtime host of CBS' Survivor, averaged a 0.8/3 for its first week on the air, down 27% from last year at this time and down 33% from its 1.2/4 lead-in.

Twentieth's Ricki Lake was the lowest rated of the four new talkers, averaging a 0.7/2 in its first week, down 36% from both last year and its lead-in, both of which were a 1.1/3.

Among daytime's key women 25-54 demographic, Katie averaged a 1.2/7 for the week, popping back up on Friday to a 1.1/7 after dropping to a 0.8/5 on Thursday.  After one week on the air, that's down 14% from last year's 1.4/8 and down 20% from its 1.5/9 lead in.

In fact, Steve Harvey, which Endemol USA produces at NBC's WMAQ Chicago, was the only rookie to improve over both September 2011 time periods and over its lead-in among women 25-54, averaging a 0.9/6 for the week in the demo. That's up 80% over last year's 0.5/3 and up 28% over its 0.7/4 lead-in.

Jeff Probst, which, like Harvey, airs on NBC-owned stations in the country's biggest markets, averaged a 0.5/3 among women 25-54 in its first week on the air, even with last year and down 28% from its 0.7/4 lead-in.

Ricki Lake, which airs on Tribune and Fox-owned stations in the large markets, dropped 20% in the demo compared to last year's 0.5/3, but was flat in rating with its 0.4/3 lead-in, although down a share point.