ABC, NBC Tie Atop News Ratings
CBS' Sarah Palin interview generates Internet buzz but not ratings.
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/30/2008 7:36:00 AM EDT
CBS’ Sarah Palin interview certainly won the Internet-buzz prize last week for network evening-news stories, but in the key 25-54 demo, ABC and NBC were tied atop the news ratings for the first week of the season (Sept. 22-26), with ABC edging out NBC in total households.
ABC's World News with Charles Gibson averaged a 2.1 rating/9 share, but so did NBC's Nightly News with Brian Williams, with each averaging the exact same 2.57 million viewers. ABC edged NBC in total viewers 8.07 million-7.98 million, according to Nielsen Media research numbers.
CBS was a distant third with a 1.5/6 rating in the 25-54 demo and 5.99 million viewers despite Katie Couric's high-profile interview with Republican vice-presidential candidate Palin, which certainly had the buzz factor.
ABC has won the 25-54 ratings race for two of the past three weeks, according to the network.
