ABC Daytime Ratings Hurting

The first four weeks of ratings are in for ABC's new
lifestyle/reality program The Revolution and the news is not good.
Versus the show it replaced, veteran drama One Life to Live, the show's
ratings are down 50% in the key sales demographic of women 18-49. It is likely
ABC expected some loss of audience with the new show, but the magnitude of that
loss thus far is cause for concern.

Even though The Revolution is cheaper to produce than
a drama, these ratings losses are huge, and it may have a damaging effect on
the program that follows it, long-running daytime drama General Hospital.
GH's ratings in the last four weeks
are down 25%, or a 5% greater erosion than the show had been experiencing
earlier in the season.

It is likely ABC will be cutting back at least one hour of
its daytime programming next season to make way for its affiliated stations to
carry the new Katie Couric talk show.

Elsewhere, the ABC chat-fest The Chew, which
replaced All My Children last September, is also down in the
ratings compared to the long-running drama, but these losses are likely considered
acceptable to the network.

Here are the most recent ratings for ABC's daytime lineup
since The Revolution premiered in mid-January.