Cable breaks 50-share mark in prime
In June, wired medium captures majority of viewers for first time
By Allison Romano -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/8/2002
Cable outmuscled broadcast networks to claim the bulk of TV viewership in June. Cable networks registered a 54.0 prime time share for the month, compared with a 38.4 share for the seven major broadcast networks. June marks the first month cable has surpassed a 50 share in prime.
Compared with the same month last year, cable share jumped 12%, while broadcast slipped about 11%.
The same pattern held for delivery, with cable nets attracting 30.8 million homes, up 16%, and broadcasters harvesting 21.9 million homes, down about 9%.
The second quarter is history, and general-entertainment nets delivered the largest prime time audiences in two key demographic groups. TNT ranked first in reaching both adults 18-49 (1.1 million viewers) and adults 25-54 (1.1 million). USA was second, attracting 978,000 18- to 49-year-olds and 1 million viewers ages 25-54.
Lifetime Television, the quarter's top-rated network in households, came in third for adults 25-54 and fourth among adults 18-49.
No surprise here, MTV was tops among younger viewers, delivering 517,000 18- to 34- year-olds. TNT was second, with 452,000 viewers in that group.
